


To Love a Good Man

by PixiePosts



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: A little angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beau is a Good Sister, Caleb Widogast Needs a Hug, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-typical swearing, F/F, Fjord has feelings, Fjord has his old accent, Fjord is smitten, Fjord just wants to wrap the wizard in a blanket, Fluff, I can't write those, Intrusive Thoughts, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mentions of past abuse, More tags when I think of them, Multi, POV Multiple, Temporary Character Death, Title Subject to Change, and cuddle piles, angst that even I didn't expect but here we are, definitely not a slow burn, lots of feelings, so much platonic sleeping together, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:08:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 68,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25864123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixiePosts/pseuds/PixiePosts
Summary: The Mighty Nine have ended a war, and been shoved into a life of politics because of it.  Captain Fjord is making do, taking jobs when they can get away, and trying to get back to whatever "normal" is for them.  That is, until the famed Trent Ikithon of the Cerberus Assembly shows up at their door with a "gift".A gift that has two matching pieces, one now living with the Bright Queen and one with King Dwendal.A gift named Caleb Widogast.---aka: war-dog Caleb Widogast is one of three Volstrucker to survive the war, and has been given to the famous mercenary group "The Mighty Nine" as a show of peace.  He expects to continue to be a tool of violence, what he doesn't expect is to find love on all side.
Relationships: Fjord/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 227
Kudos: 499





	1. Chapter 1: Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends!  
> So, I've had this sitting in my drive for months but I've been so preoccupied with my Widomauk fic that I didn't get around to doing much with it. Now I've hit some major writers block on my Widomauk, and have the motivation to work on this one!  
> Hopefully I'll be able to keep up both, I'm going to try my best! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Captain Fjord  Tusktooth was used to being put in odd situations. He was used to dealing with sudden changes in plan, and finding ways to make any situation work to their advantage. He and his crew-no, team, they weren’t on the sea anymore, had been in a fair share of scrapes in the years they had travelled together. Now, the war finally over, the powerful sea demon who had haunted his dreams finally silent, the situations he found himself in were somehow even more strange. His team were considered instrumental in the ending of the war.

Heros of the Dynasty

Friends to the King

Peace bringers

Light bringers...

The titles went on and on, depending on who you asked. Right now, their main concern was the cultists that were trying to destroy the world, that’s what they needed to focus on. Instead, he was standing in the courtyard of their keep just outside the city of  Zadash , staring at the old man in front of him in absolute confusion. The man, (“ Ikithon ” his memory supplied) just smiled back at him. The smile was sickly sweet and didn’t reach his eyes. Slicked back pale blond hair fell to the  mans’ shoulders, his skin was pale as well save for a smattering of age spots. He was clearly older than he looked, wearing long white robes with gold trim that somehow had resisted the mud of the courtyard. 

“So, you’re telling me he’s... a gift.” 

Ikithon nodded “as a motion of peace, we at the  Soltyrce Academy have gifted our three finest wizards to the high houses of the land.” He smiled wider, there was something  _ scheming _ to the smile “King  Dwendal and the illustrious Bright Queen have already taken their mages in, and now I am honored to present one to you as well.” 

He waved a hand imperiously, beckoning the other man forward, he walked up obediently. 

“This is Caleb  Widogast , a prodigy raised within the academy. I can assure you that he will be most useful to you.” The other man bowed as his teacher introduced him. Fjord looked over to Beau, raising an eyebrow. She narrowed her eyes, tilted her head towards the older man and nodded almost imperceptibly before giving Fjord a “we can talk once he’s gone” look. Fjord sighed quietly and turned back to  Ikithon . 

“We’re happy to take him on, we still have much to do without the war, we could use the help” he paused “and if, as your letters implied, it would make the King and the Bright Queen more comfortable, how can we refuse” he tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Ikithon nodded, pleased and raised a hand to the coachman who brought over a small trunk and laid it at the younger  wizards feet. The older man didn’t stick around after that, he bid the wizard a cold goodbye, receiving a bow in return, climbed into the carriage and was off. 

Fjord felt the instant release of tension from the group as the coach disappeared through the gate. He turned to Beau, eyebrow raised, but she was watching the wizard. Fjord turned and was surprised to see that the man hadn’t moved other than to turn to face them again. He stood with military posture, back straight, feet shoulder width apart and hands clasped behind himself. His head was help up, eyes forward and focused somewhere over Fjords shoulder, face impassive. Fjord cleared his throat and the man looked to him immediately. 

He was handsome, Fjord realized as he finally took a moment to look him over. Dressed all in black, dress pants and high collared, long-sleeved shirt crisp and wrinkleless despite what had to have been a long drive in the coach. He had long auburn hair and just a touch of slightly darker scruff along a sharp jaw, his hair tied back behind his head with a strip of black leather. He was pale, with a light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks. Fjord noted the serious expression briefly before he found himself distracted by the eyes. Blue, like the ocean at twilight, with long pale lashes. 

“Well... welcome” he said, feeling rather awkward “I uh... hope your trip wasn’t too long, the roads can get mucky this time of year”

The man, Caleb, nodded once “thank you Captain, it was not a bad trip” 

His accent was strange, not quite what Fjord remembered from their last trip to  Rexxentrum , but he put it out of his mind. 

“Well, you know who I am, I suppose I ought to introduce...” he looked behind himself at the others, who all walked up. 

“Here we’ve got Expositor Beauregard of the Cobalt Soul, she handles our guards here as well” (“Beau’s fine” Beau interjected) “Then there’s  Mollymauk (Molly winked, typical),  Yasha (she waved slightly awkwardly), Nott (the goblin glared, fingering her crossbow) and Jester (“hi!!”)” He paused while Caleb nodded to each person in turn. 

“There’s also Caduceus and  Yeza , but they were working on a few things this morning and I suppose they lost track of the time”

Caleb nodded to him again. 

“So... um...” he looked back at Jester “Jessie, do you mind showing Caleb to his room? That way he can get settled before dinner?” 

“ ohh for sure Fjord!” she bounced forward as Caleb lifted his trunk “ready Caleb? Come with me!” She was smiling her bright Jester smile at him, he just... nodded, following obediently as she led the way into the keep. 

Fjord turned to  Beau, his grim expression mirrored on her face. 

“So, what did Dairon say?”

“The Academy is just as fucked as we thought” she said, anger just barely controlled “they’ve essentially been kidnapping kids for years, using the war as a distraction. Any kids that shows arcane ability gets snapped up, taken into that damned ‘school’ (she spit the word, bitter) and they’re not seen again until they graduate and are thrown into the military.” 

Fjord sighed “and what were they able to find about our new member?”

Beau grimaced, looking briefly at the door where the wizard had disappeared before turning back to Fjord.

“He’s  some kind of prodigy , he was brought into the academy at 6 (Fjord winced at that) and then taken on by  Ikithon at 7.  Ikithon doesn’t usually take students on until they’re at least 10. The training is too intense for ‘most students’ he says.” she paused, frowning further “Dairon suspects it’s a lot worse than ‘intense’ considering how many students go in, and how few come out” she sighed “his students are elite, their official title is ‘ Volstrucker ’ but they’re better known as ‘Scourgers’” 

“Wait. He’s a  _ Scourger _ ?”

“Yup. One of three to come out of the war alive. He’s the one that dealt with the  gnoll infestation in  Alfield a few weeks back... the other two are the ‘ _ gifts’  _ that  Ikithon gave to the King and the Bright Queen” 

Fjord glared “people aren’t gifts. I really don’t like that man...” he paused “but maybe we can give this Caleb a chance... we have a long road ahead of us before we get to actually retire.” 

Beau nodded; her expression resigned. 

Fjord and Beau spent the next several hours in his study, going over correspondence from  Dairon relating to the Academy,  Ikithon , and especially Caleb  Widogast . 

By the time they were done, Fjord wanted to burn them all to the ground

\----

Caleb followed Jester through the halls, the keep was still very much a military space. The stone walls bare other than torch sconces and a few paintings, mainly of the adventuring party that lived there. The floors had runners down them, but they clearly hadn’t been replaced in quite a while. Jester was talking about how nice it was to be “home for a while”, further confirming the fact that this group still spent much of its time on the road. Master Ikithon had said as much, that they still “acted more like some uncultured adventuring group of mercenaries” than the elite heroes they were lauded as. Something on the wall caught Caleb's eye, and he couldn’t help but stop.

It was a painting of a wheat field, done in beautiful realism, the wheat seemed to sway in a summer breeze he could almost smell. Behind the field lay a beautifully rendered forest, and the sky showing a sun just starting to set. The whole image brought something warm and unfamiliar to Caleb’s chest.

“Oh! That’s one of my absolute  favourites too!” Jesters voice broke through his musing and he snapped to attention instinctively. 

“Forgive me Miss Jester, I was ah... distracted.” He could feel his hands trembling where they were clasped behind his back, waiting to be reprimanded. But no reprimand came, instead she just smiled brightly at him.

“Oh! it’s totally fine! I’m glad you like it! I painted all the pictures in this hall, but I really like how that one came out” He blinked, understanding now. He was not in trouble because he had unknowingly paid her a compliment. He pasted a small smile on his face and nodded

“It is lovely work, you clearly have quite a talent”

She positively glowed at that, linking arms with him and continuing down the hall. It was a bit harder to walk like this, with his trunk held in front of him and her arm hooked around his elbow, but he didn’t dare complain. 

“If you like that painting so  much I’ll ask Fjord to take it down and we can move it into your room! As a ‘welcome to the team’ gift!” she paused briefly for breath and continued “I really wanted to paint something for your room, I’ve done murals in everyone else's, but I had no idea what you liked!”

“Oh, you don’t need to-”

She cut him off, stopping in front of a door “oh I know, I  _ want _ to! It’s fun!”

“Well ah... if it would please you, then certainly Miss Jester” 

“Oh no, just call me Jester! We’re on the same team now!” She opened the door, her expression warm. 

“Ah... then you should call me Caleb as well, if you like” that seemed to please her, she let him go and clapped as she walked into the room. 

He looked around, it was spacious but not uncomfortably so, with a queen-sized bed covered with soft looking grey and blue sheets. There was a dresser across from the bed with a large mirror above it. The far wall was mostly taken up by a large window with grey curtains tied back. The room apparently looked out at some kind of inner courtyard; a few guards were milling about. Under the window was a fairly large desk with a chair. 

“I know it isn’t much...” came Jesters voice again “but there’s a bathroom attached over there” she pointed to the door next to the dresser “and the door locks from the inside in case you want privacy” she smiled hopefully at him, and he found he couldn’t help but smile back. There was something innately disarming about the loud blue  Tiefling . 

“It is lovely, I appreciate your hospitality” She nodded, apparently happy with his response. He couldn’t hope that they would all be this easy to please. 

“ Ooookay , I’m going to let you get settled and unpack and stuff, then someone will come show you the way to the dining hall for dinner, okay?” 

He nodded and she pranced out of the room, waving as she shut his door lightly. He sighed, releasing the tension in his shoulders slightly. He opened his trunk and began to  unpack; pajamas, socks and small clothes in the top right drawer. Daytime wear and his one formal set in the bottom right. Extra paper, ink and quills in the top left and the last drawer left empty. He carefully lined his books up along the shelf on the desk, laying out his supplies with his usual neat precision. Then he took his few toiletries (soap, shampoo, brush, toothpaste, toothbrush and two extra ties for his hair) and settled them in the bathroom. 

He stepped back out, pleased with how the room was set up, and shut his trunk with a click before sliding it under the bed. He sat down at the table, pulling a beaten-up leather-bound book from his pocket. He opened it up and reviewed the notes he had made about his new keepers. Master  Ikithon had talked about them at length, providing a background on each that he could use to prepare himself. 

As he  read he allowed himself to relax slightly, these new keepers seemed odd, but not particularly violent. He would have to keep an eye on the woman from the Cobalt Soul... Beauregard, she could be dangerous if angered. The same went for the Captain, as charming as his speech had been (where  _ was _ his accent from anyway?) he was still the one that Master  Ikithon had pointed out as the leader. Caleb would have to work hard to stay on his good side. 

The  Teiflings had been a surprise, lavender and blue were not common shades... especially not within the Empire. Jester seemed nice enough, more interested in frivolous activaties than anything else. The man though...  Mollymauk (where on  Exandria had a name like that come from?) gave off a more dangerous vibe, he had the feeling of a predator lying in wait. Yes, Caleb would have to be careful around him.

And the tall woman, Yasha. She had been... strange, paler even than himself and with those odd mismatched eyes. She looked like the most physically powerful of them, and she didn’t seem  particularly talkative. He would have to wait and watch. 

About an hour later there was a light rap on his door, he stowed away the notebook and walked to the door. He assumed his ‘at ease’ position as soon as he had opened it, seeing with slight surprise that the Captain had come to escort him.

“Evenin’ Caleb, are you ready for dinner?”

“I am, thank you Captain” he paused “I did not expect you to guide me yourself, I hope I have not pulled you away from anything important.” 

Fjord raised an eyebrow and shook his head “it’s no trouble, I can show the way just as well as anyone, and I finished my work for the day in any case” he smiled easily at Caleb, who couldn’t help but notice the beginning of tusks when his lips pulled back. 

Fjord stepped back, making space for Caleb to step into the hall. The walk was quiet, clearly it was just Jester who felt the need to fill every moment with chatter. Caleb kept track of the route automatically, his mind filing it away for later. He would have to take some time in the coming days to memorize the keeps layout. They arrived at a pair of tall wooden doors just  off of the main entrance hall, two guards stood at them, pushing the doors open as they approached. The wave of sound that burst forth when the doors opened nearly made Caleb step backwards. Meals at the Academy had been quiet and orderly, meals with  Ikithon even more so. 

What had he gotten himself into?

\----

Dinner with the Nine was always an event, even when it was just them, in the keep. Fjord took the head of the table, something he had fought against for months before the others had literally removed all the other chairs from the room. Caduceus, Beau and Molly sat on one side, with Nott,  Yasha and Jester on the other. Now however, when he and Caleb had entered the room,  Yasha had pulled Caleb gently to the seat between herself and Jester, with Nott on Jesters other side.  Yezza very rarely ate with them, as he did not live full time at the keep. 

Caleb had been silent the entire walk from his room, keeping pace with that same military precision he had shown when  Ikithon had been there. Fjord couldn’t say he liked it. He knew that the man was just doing what he felt he had to, but Fjord wasn’t entirely sure how to go about making him more comfortable. He couldn’t help but think of the conversation he and Beau had had earlier in the day.

“ _ It sounds like kidnapping and fucking  _ **_ torture _ ** _ Beau” he had spat at her, upon reading the letters from  _ _ Dairon _ _. “It sounds like child abuse and mind- _ _ fuckery _ _ " _

_ Beau had only nodded, her face grim.  _

_ “well what the fuck? Why send him here? Is it really a peace offering or are they spying?” _

_ “Could be either. The Academy knows they aren’t as useful now that the war is over... so  _ _ Dairon _ _ figures they’re trying to get an in with the important political groups” she had winced “and that unfortunately means us now”  _

_ He had groaned, pressing his palms to his eyes, more political intrigue was the last thing they needed. They had a cult to deal with.  _

_ And  _ _ Widogast _ _... “you said they train their mages in a weird way?”  _

_ Beau had nodded “yeah, they fight blindfolded” she sighed, grimacing “that whole ‘justice is blind’ thing, it doesn’t matter who the target is as long as they’ve been declared enemies of the Empire.... these kids don’t see anything other than Academy walls from the day they get ‘selected’” she had spat the last word. Disgust clear on her face, and in Fjords mind. _

Fjord snapped back to reality as  Nila and some of the kitchen staff brought out dinner. Jester was chatting away, telling Caleb a story about one of their recent ‘adventures’ into Xhorhas, and how tough it was to defeat the monsters in the Wastes. Caleb was nodding politely, the ghost of a smile on his face (though never quite breaking through). The man was something of an oddity... While the rest of the Nine (though there had only ever been seven of them, one of Jesters odd pranks) had come together out of necessity, he was here as... 

Fjord would not,  _ could _ not, think of this man as a “gift” to the Nine. That was foul. 

‘Emissary’ his Captains mind supplied (‘lost soul’ a deeper part voices), and they would just have to see where he ended up fitting in. 

Dinner was some sort of vegetarian pasta dish, light and as tasty as always.  Nila had come around with white wine for most of them, milk for Jester, and tea for Caduceus. He had never been particular to wine, but they always seemed to be sent it so now they had it with dinner most nights. He had to admit, it had grown on him.

Still would have preferred an ale in some smokey inn, like the old days. Having a “home” was nice, but he had gotten so accustomed to life on the road, and life on the ocean before that. 

He took another deep sip of the wine, watching the others chat. Jester was doing her absolute best to try and pull Caleb into conversation. He looked to be responding to direct questions, but from what Fjord could tell he wasn’t saying much. He chuckled, that was going to drive Jester mad. 

Molly was watching the new man with obvious curiosity, tail curling in the air behind him like a cat watching a mouse. Fjord frowned, he would have to keep an eye on  _ that _ situation... Molly meant well, but he could be a lot when you weren’t used to it. Hells, he could be a lot when you  _ were _ used to it. 

The evening progressed slowly, when they had all eaten and were ready to retire for the night Caleb stood, military posture again and waited while the others left the table. Fjord frowned, they really needed to get this man to relax a bit.

All in good time, he supposed. 


	2. First Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb is trying to get used to these strange new people, and trying to figure out who to look out for.  
> Fjord is going stir crazy, he needs a good fight.  
> Jester just wants everyone to be happy.

Jester stared at the blank canvas in front of her, it wasn’t like her not to know what to paint. She wanted to do something for Caleb, as a welcome gift. She was still planning to get Fjord to take down the wheat field one Caleb had liked, but she wanted one that was  _ specifically _ for him. The trouble was... she had no idea what he liked! The whole time they had been at dinner she had talked to him, and he hadn’t been  _ rude _ or anything, but no matter how much she told him about herself and her momma and the Nine, he hadn’t said anything about himself. No anecdotes about his own family, no funny stories about life at a fancy wizard school, no grand adventures during the war... Though, lots of people didn’t like talking about the war. That one she understood kind of. 

But it really hadn’t made getting to know him any easier, which lead to the problem at hand... what to paint for Caleb? 

As she glared at the canvas, feeling like it was personally offending her, there was a knock on the door. 

“Come  iiiin ” she called, turning around on her painting stool as the door opened. 

Beau came in, she was flushed in the way that meant she had been working out (“probably half-killing the poor guards again...” Thought Jester) and she smiled when she saw the canvas up on the  easel . 

“Working on a new painting Jess?” 

Jester sighed a  long-suffering sigh

“I am  _ trying _ to paint something for  Cayleb , but I can’t think of like  ** anything”  ** she pouted at Beau, waving a dismissive hand at the offending canvas.

Beaus smile warmed up and she walked forward, patting Jester on the shoulder gently

“Hey, don’t worry about it! He’s only been here like...what 24hours? You have tons of time to find out more about him”

“That’s true I  _ guess _ ...” she paused, a new idea popping into her head “Maybe I should go see if he wants to go on a tour!” her tail whipped happily behind her at the idea “that would be fun!” 

Beau nodded “yeah, he’s  gonna need to know his way around anyway just...” she paused, looking serious, “go easy on him yeah? He might be a spy, or he might not... but from what  Dairon said in their letters, his life hasn’t exactly been  _ easy _ up till now”

That didn’t sound great. Jester smiled anyway, if there was anyone in this group who could make their new friend happy it was her  ThankYouVeryMuch ! 

She skipped down the hall, waving and calling helloes to the staff that she ran into. It was  really super cool that they had actual staff now, it reminded her of the Chateau. She really needed to make a trip down to see Momma soon... it had been  _ months _ since they were in  Nicodranis . And she could introduce Caleb! 

She knocked lightly but rapidly on Caleb’s door when she reached it, rocking on her heels as she waited for him to answer. It didn’t take long before the door opened, and the wizard was standing in front of her. His hair really  _ was _ a very pretty  colour ... Jester wondered if she would be able to mix it just right when she did a group painting next. 

“Ah... good morning Miss-” he paused “good morning Jester” and she smiled, none of that ‘miss’ stuff! 

“Hello Caleb! I was wondering if you wanted a tour of the  keep? Since you’re going to be like, living here and stuff!” she gave him one of her  _ most _ friendly smiles. 

He smiled back, it looked like he really wasn’t used to doing it, but she appreciated that he was trying and stuff.

“Certainly, I was planning on exploring today but learning the halls will be much easier with a guide” he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him “as long as I am not keeping you from anything important?”

She shook her head “no! Not at all, I’m only usually busy if people get hurt or something” 

He nodded and Jester couldn’t help but notice that he was wearing the same thing as the day before... or maybe not the  _ same _ clothes, but they  _ looked _ the same. She led him down the hall, making for the kitchens first. Might as well start at the bottom and work upward right? Jester did her best to give him as much information about the keep as possible. It  _ was _ going to be his new home  after all ! 

She made sure to introduce all the staff that they came across, especially  Nila and her family since they had been with the Nine the longest. 

“You’ll get to meet  Orly and the Ball-Eater's crew too eventually, but we only get to see them when we go to  Nicodranas ” 

“You are from  Nicodranas I believe?” She brightened  up; he really  _ had  _ been listening!

“Oh  _ Yes _ ! And it is the most beautiful place! My momma is like, super-duper famous over there and we always stay with her when we visit!” she turned to smile brightly at him “you’ll totally love her, everyone does!” 

Caleb’s smile was a little bit better now, she thought... that was a good sign! 

“What about your parents? What are they like? I bet they’re super smart and stuff, since you’re super smart!” 

The smile flickered and Jester tried not to pout

“I ah... don’t remember much about them to be completely honest” Caleb’s voice was  soft; he didn’t sound  _ sad _ exactly... just sort of  wistful “I went to the academy when I was 6, I haven’t seen them since”

Now Jester  _ did _ frown “you weren’t given like... vacations or something?”

Caleb shook his head “the regular academy students were, but Master  Ikithon did not want anything to interfere with our studies” he seemed to study her expression for a moment before the odd forced smile was back on his face “do not let it trouble you Jester, I really don’t remember much about them... I believe they were farmers if I recall” 

Jester tried to smile again; she didn’t want him to feel bad about not knowing his own parents. She led him upstairs now, pointing out everyone's bedrooms along the second floor. It was  _ definitely _ important that he know where they all were, just in case! They got to the large double doors at the end of the hall and she stopped smiling brightly once again as Caleb looked curiously at her

“I think you’re  _ totally _ going to love this part!” she said as she shoved the heavy doors inward and gave Caleb a light nudge into the room. He took a few steps in, staring around in absolute awe, and Jester knew  _ exactly _ what she was going to paint on his wall.

\----

Caleb stared around the room in  _ awe _ . The mysterious room Jester had led him to  was a library, but it was unlike any library he had ever seen. The room was two stories tall, the entire back wall consisted of a window that was letting in the later morning sun, highlighting the  _ walls _ of books. Every wall was covered in beautiful wooden shelves, and there were rows of the same shelves in between, with a large open space in the middle of the main floor that housed tables and comfortable looking chairs. From this angle it looked like there were even more windows on the second floor.

Every shelf was  _ stuffed _ with books, some looked ancient and delicate while others looked much more modern... Caleb felt like he had died and gone to paradise. He turned back to look at Jester, to thank her... or hug her or beg her to never make him leave this room again...

“You like it?” She asked with a huge grin on her face “I totally knew you would!”

He nodded, still dumbstruck by the sheer volume of knowledge here.

“This is... it’s  _ wunderbar _ Jester, absolutely amazing” he felt a brief shock of guilt at the use of the  Zemnian term, but Jester didn’t seem to mind. She was smiling brightly at him, clearly pleased that he enjoyed her surprise. 

“Ooookay, so! Remember yesterday I said I wanted to paint you a mural like the other have got?” he nodded “do you mind if I go into your room?”

That struck him as odd, even through the fog of book-related joy. Why would she need permission? 

“O-of course” he cursed himself for stuttering “you do not need to ask”

“ Of  _ course _ I need to ask silly, it’s  _ your _ room!” she chuckled good naturedly, coming over and taking his hands “I’m  gonna go start working on it, but you can  _ totally _ read whatever you want here okay?”

That strange, unfamiliar sensation rose in Caleb’s chest again as he nodded, fighting back laughter. She released his hands and skipped out of the room, waving as she slid  through the door. 

He spun back to face the library again...  _ anything _ she had said. He could read  _ anything _ in here. He wanted to read everything. 

The question was... where to start?

He started out methodically going through the stacks, trying to figure out how the books were sorted. It seemed  fairly straightforward , sorted by subject and then alphabetically by the authors name. There was a bit of  _ everything  _ it seemed, from history to the arts, to nautical information and war strategy... right down to botany and the sciences. He even found a few lesser known religious texts, which were intriguing on their own considering the laws around worship in the Empire. 

While he had been exploring, he had found the smaller upper floor windows. They were tucked in between stacks and each had a comfortable window seat built in, along with small wall sconces to read by if the light wasn’t coming through strongly enough. 

He grabbed a small stack of historical tomes and headed for a window seat, curling himself up with his back against the wall. He read through the first two books before he realized how long he had been  there, it was just about time for dinner... He sighed.

He didn’t  _ want  _ to leave the comfortable spot he had found, but he knew that his Master would be very upset if he didn’t go down to eat with the Nine.

“ _ remember your mission boy, you are a  _ **_ representative _ ** _ of the academy.”  _ Caleb flinched at how clearly he could imagine his Master’s voice “ _ Do  _ _ not _ _ disappoint me” _

And so, Caleb got up, put away the books, running his fingers over the leather binding with a sigh. Jester had said he could read anything... surely that would mean he could read whenever he wanted to as well... right? 

He made his way back to the dining hall, the route easy enough to remember and stepped through the doors. It seemed that the sheer amount of noise this small group could make was the norm, as the wall of voices crashed over him the moment, he entered the room. 

Jester was waving him over, so he went and took the same seat he had occupied the night before. The cheerful blue woman was decidedly more paint-splattered then she had been earlier that day, but she looked pleased. Caleb looked along the table and realized there was a halfling man who hadn’t been there the night before. He had a kind face, warm brown eyes and he smiled when he saw Caleb looking over

“Hi there! We haven’t met yet, I’m Yezza” he waved from his spot next to Nott

“Hallo, it’s a pleasure to meet you” Caleb replied politely. This was the  Yezza that the Captain had mentioned then, good to know. 

Dinner was excellent again, a steak dish with hearty vegetables and a rich gravy, all paired with a deep red wine that Caleb only sipped at. Red wine had always made him sleepy. 

As they were finishing up, waiting for desert to come out, Jester turned to look at him. She looked a little bit nervous for some reason.

“ Soooo ... Caleb, I was wondering...” she paused, so he smiled at her

“Yes Jester?” 

“Well um... not to be like  _ rude _ or anything but like... do you,  y’know , have any more normal clothes?” he raised an eyebrow, confused by the question and she held her hands up in front of herself “not that your clothes aren’t _ totally cool _ and stuff,  cause they are!! Just like... do have anything that’s not a... uniform?” 

Oh, that’s what she meant. He shook his head, shrugging slightly as he answered 

“I have never had a need for anything other than my uniform... unless you count sleep clothes and my formal suit for larger occasions” 

There was a gasp from across the table and Caleb turned to see  Mollymauk looking horrified. 

“No  _ need _ for other clothes?” the lavender man sounded like he might faint now “but... how...  _ why _ ?” 

“What about for like... days off and stuff?” Jester  interrupted Mollymauks horrified stuttering, Caleb looked over to her again 

“We did not really get those” he said with another shrug. 

They were looking at him oddly again... but why? Why would they have taken days  off? They were training to protect the Empire and the  King, they were a representation of the Academy. Why would they have time for things like ‘days off’? He voiced this question to the table at large, looking around at them curiously. 

“I mean...” said Beauregard in a strange voice “you were  _ kids _ ... even the Soul gave us days off to unwind” 

That seemed odd, from what Caleb knew about the Cobalt Soul it seemed like their training methods should at least be  _ close _ to those of the Academy. 

“Well” Caleb looked up at the Captain, the half-orcs expression was one of concern and... something Caleb couldn’t identify “I hope you don’t mind takin’ some time off now... We tend to have gaps between jobs here” 

Caleb wasn’t sure how he felt about that... he had been going non-stop from the time he was 6, what if his magic got rusty? What use would he be then? 

“Is there... somewhere I might practice my spells?” he asked tentatively “I would hate to be out of practice should we run into something” 

The Captain thought for a moment, then nodded “there’s a secondary training area that we don’t really use much these days, you’re welcome to it” amber eyes turned to Beauregard “maybe Beau here could show you were it is?” 

She nodded curtly, still looking frustrated about something. 

“You can always spend more time in the library!” Jester supplied happily from beside him “I bet there’s all  _ sorts _ of super cool magic stuff in there!” 

Caleb felt himself brighten at the idea, turning to smile with what he realized was genuine fondness at the Tiefling girl.

“I think I may do just that, the collection here is truly impressive. I appreciate you showing it to me” 

She positively beamed at this, preening under the praise and turning to regale Beauregard with a story about a painting she was working on. Caleb noticed then that  Mollymauk was speaking very quietly to the Captain, leaned into his space. Caleb wouldn’t have paid it much mind, the two men seemed  fairly close , but the  Tieflings scarlet eyes kept flitting to Caleb and back... which was just a bit concerning.

Had he said something  wrong? Mollymauk had seemed distressed by his lack of non-uniform clothing certainly, but Caleb had put that down to the  mans’ apparent love of extravagant outfits.  However ... the concerned way the other men were speaking about him (because it was  _ clearly _ about him), would indicate otherwise. He chewed his bottom lip for a moment, perhaps they would prefer him to dress more casually, like they all seemed to?

“ _ Infiltrate, assimilate” _ said the mocking voice in his head, repeating training he had known since he was a small child. 

He would need to work this out.

\----

Fjord listened to Molly’s whispered concerns about their newest team member. He agreed with most of it, but it wasn’t really anything new. All the information pointed towards a childhood of discipline and cruelty for the wizard. Fjord couldn’t help but want to help the boy man... his own memories of childhood weren’t much better. 

“He knows we’re talking about him Molls” he whispered to the Tiefling. Those blue eyes had been staring covertly from under his lashes for a few minutes now. 

Molly nodded “yeah, I thought so too... what if Yasha and I go out and get him some things tomorrow?” 

That shocked Fjord, he whipped his head back around to face his friend, eyebrows raised

“You’re volunteering for that?” 

Molly shrugged “leave the  world better right? He’s part of our world now, and the Gods know he needs the help” he winked now “besides, it’s an excuse to shop!” 

Yeah, that made more sense. 

“Just... don’t bring back things like  _ you _ wear, okay?” he sighed “you’ll just scare him” 

Molly laughed at that, rolling his eyes “why do you think I’m bringing Yasha?” 

Fjord just sighed again, this could go very badly. 

** Three days later **

As it turned out, it went very well. Caleb had been flustered at first, saying he couldn’t accept gifts from them and trying to give them too much of his small coin purse. Fjord had eventually told him not to argue it anymore, the clothes were his. He had  _ hated _ the way Caleb had gone from sort-of-normal to  completely-obedient the moment Fjord had opened his mouth... but the man did look much more comfortable now. 

Yasha had clearly influenced the purchases, nothing was flashy or over-decorated, and all of it was in muted  colours . Well, all except one tunic, which was a near perfect match for the  wizards eyes. 

_ Yasha smiled fondly at the smaller man “I thought it would look nice on you, but don’t feel like you have to wear it if you prefer the other stuff” she waved her hands to indicate her own monochrome wardrobe “I’m not really one to judge”  _

_ Caleb had looked down at the tunic, holding it as though it was something precious, then looked back up at her and smiled the second truly genuine smile Fjord had seen on his face.  _

_ “Thank you Miss Yasha, truly”  _

Fjord smiled at the memory, he wasn’t sure what had happened to make Yasha like the man, but he was glad. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as hard to break down the traumatized wizards’ walls after all. 

He walked out to the training ground, intent on joining Beau and some of the guards for some early morning training. As he turned the corner out into the courtyard that led to the grounds he stopped, sitting sideways on a stone bench was the very man he had been thinking of. Caleb was leaning back against a stone column, one leg bent with a large tome rested on it and the other leg stretched out. Clever blue eyes were scanning rapidly across the page, and he was chewing the end of a pencil. He had put on one of the loose grey tunics and the more casual black breeches, his hair tied back as usual. He still wore the odd gloves however... 

All in  all ... a very attractive image, framed by the old stone and the soft morning light... Fjord took a breath, making sure to drag his feet slightly so as not to startle the man. 

Blue eyes flicked up from the page and Caleb paused briefly before suddenly he was sitting up straight, book closed in his lap. Fjord sighed. 

“Don’t mind me Caleb” he said, smiling what he hoped was an encouraging smile “I’m just headed to the training grounds. You can... uh... relax?” 

Caleb nodded, and Fjord noticed the tips of his ears flushed slightly when he relaxed his posture. 

“I apologize, I was not certain if the library books could leave the building... but Nott said it was fine and...” he trailed off, chewing his lip again. 

Oh, thought Fjord, he thinks I’ll be mad about the book?

“No, you’re fine, Nott was right” he shrugged “honestly I think she and  Yezza are the only ones who really used the place before you got here, you’re welcome to anything in there”

Caleb smiled at him tentatively “thank you Captain, I appreciate it” 

“You can call me Fjord if you want to” he chuckled “Everyone else does” 

The smile was gone, and now Caleb’s brow was furrowed in concern “that would be... very disrespectful of me” he paused “the others... they are your friends; they  _ were _ your friends before the war” he bit his lip again “I am... a crew member” 

Fjord felt a pang at the sadness that flickered through the wizards’ eyes, just for a moment. He wasn’t going to push it; Caleb clearly wasn’t comfortable yet. 

“If that makes you more comfortable, the offer stands if you change your mind” he  feigned indifference and continued past the man on the bench “enjoy your reading!” he called as he passed through the arch between the two yards. 

Training went as well as he could hope, Beau kicked his ass as she usually did, but he was  definitely improving . He managed to get a few good hits in on her before going down to a well-timed heel to the chest. The guards left well before the two of them did, but that was normal as well, especially when Fjord had a lot on his mind. 

“We should ask around about jobs” he said as he dusted himself off “everyone is getting restless hanging around here”

“And you want to see what Caleb can do”

He shrugged, no used denying it. One of the Academy’s best mages, a supposed  prodigy ... yeah, he was curious. 

“Don’t you?” he asked simply, it was Beaus turn to shrug, which Fjord knew meant yes. 

“I’ll head into town tomorrow and ask around” she said instead “hopefully there will be  _ something”  _

_ “ _ Worse comes to worst, you can always check in with our old friend at the Evening Nip” he smirked. 

They hadn’t taken a job from the Gentleman in ages, they had been worried that it might get in the way of finding the cultists... but since they really weren’t making much headway on that anyway... 

Fuck it, Fjord just needed to get out of this damned building for a while, get back on the road. He knew that of anyone in the group, Beau would understand best. Yasha liked the travel, and Jester was happy anywhere... Caduceus would come along just for the heck of it.  Nott he knew would rather be here with  Yeza and Luc, but she couldn't resist the chance to see more of the world and gather more stories. Molly... well, Molly was a housecat at  heart, but he would go wherever Yasha went. 

Over the next week Fjord only grew more restless. 

He spent more time training with the guards or sometimes Molly or Yasha, Beau was still in town looking for work. This didn’t worry  him, he knew that sometimes jobs like the ones they did were harder to find and Beau wouldn’t come back until she found one. 

Yasha hadn’t been around as much this week, and when Fjord mentioned this to Molly his friend had laughed

“Oh, you hadn’t  noticed? She and the girls have essentially adopted our dear wizard” 

Fjord stopped what he was doing (they were just stupid push-ups anyway) and sat back on his knees, looking at Molly in confusion

“What? It’s been like... two weeks, if that”

Molly shrugged from where he was laying on the grass “yeah, I  dunno what they’re trying to do, but Jester and Yasha started tailing him, and now Nott is on it too” he paused, looking thoughtful “I think Nott just missed Luc and  Yeza since they went to visit Felderwin” 

“And... does it seem like it’s, I don’t know... Working?” 

“You mean is Mister Caleb acting more like a person and less like a robot?” 

Fjord winced, he hated to admit it but... yeah, that was what he meant. He nodded, sighing.

“Dunno, he freezes up whenever I come in” he shrugged “but Yasha says he’s doing better, not as stiff... so I guess that’s something”

Fjord hummed, going back to his workout. Yes, he supposed... that was  _ something _ at least.


	3. Chapter 3: First Jobs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fjord wants to GOOOOO  
> Caleb likes books more than people  
> The Gentleman!

One quiet morning exactly two weeks after Caleb arrived at the Mighty Nines keep, he was sitting in the dining hall, sipping some tea and nibbling on the breakfast the Nott had put in front of him with a very firm “eat up!” 

He had a book full of pre-calamity poetry and folk tales propped up on an unlit iron candle stick. Poetry wasn’t something that they really got to read at the Academy, and he was enjoying his tiny, private rebellion. In spite of the annoyed voice of his Master rolling through the back of his mind, full of derision. The large fireplace at the end of the dining hall was lit, despite it being mid-spring now, the mornings were still chilly. 

Yes, overall, Caleb was having a lovely morning. 

“CALEB!” 

He jumped, dropping his teacup and just barely grabbing the book, tucking it behind himself as he stood to attention out of instinct. His heart was rabbiting in his chest, and his hand shook where it held the book behind him. 

His shock must have shown on his face, because Jester (he realized now  _ that _ was who had yelled) slowed her pace to a walk and held up her hands placatingly. She was still smiling, but it was softer as she lowered her volume. 

“We have a job Caleb! Isn’t that super exciting?” she was bouncing as she spoke “we get to go on an adventure!” 

He took a deep breath, calming his heart and nodded. She was clearly excited, so agreeing seemed like the right thing to do. 

She sat down as the rest of the Nine walked in behind her. Jester rested her elbows on the table and leaned her chin on her palms, tail swishing happily. The others settled around them, taking free seats while Caleb stood, unsure. Finally, Yasha patted the seat he had been sitting in before and he sat back down, setting the book down after casting a quick prestidigitation to clear up the spilled tea. 

“Oh, that’s handy” Yasha said in her soft voice as the spell did its job, he turned and nodded at her, a smile tugging his lips. 

There was something disarming about the barbarian woman, her soft voice and gentle manner at odds with her muscles but somehow also so natural. 

“So, what is this job, now that we’re all here?” Fjord asked, looking to Beauregard 

She cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders, Caleb tried not to wince at the sound. 

“So, some colleague of the Gentleman’s is too scared to travel down from Berleben, and wants an escort. Job is pretty simple, we ride out there, pick the fancy-ass up, drop them back to the Evening Nip and then get paid.” she shrugged 

“That seems... too easy” Fjord said suspiciously 

Beau flushed slightly “okay well... Gentleman  _ might  _ have mentioned that there have been some issues with people disappearing along the road, there right? But I figure that’s no big deal, we’re the Mighty fuckin’ Nine, right?” 

Nott and Jester whooped, punching the air, Caleb had been expecting it this time and didn’t have to try quite as hard to stop the jump at the noise. 

Caleb mused; this job seemed rather below what he would have expected them to be doing. These people had ended a war, they were welcome the courts of both the King and the Bright Queen... as far as he was aware, they even had another lodging in the heart of Rosohna. However, watching the faces around him... they all looked downright  _ excited _ about the idea of several days travel down apparently dangerous roads. 

He was certain he would never understand these people. 

He smiled when Jester began telling him a story about the last job they had done for this “Gentleman”, his smile fading rapidly as she explained (to his horror) that it involved three of them being captured by  _ slavers _ and Mollymauk nearly dying. She talked about it as if it had been a fun, exciting trip. 

“You’re going to scare the poor thing Jessie” cooed Mollymauk from across the table “he might not even want to come with us, the way you talk” 

Jester huffed “oh come  _ on _ Molly! Caleb is like, a super powerful wizard and stuff! I bet this is nothing compared to the kind of stuff  _ he’s _ done! Right Caleb?” 

They were looking at him expectantly now... all except for Fjord, Beauregard and Yasha, they looked concerned. The others wanted a story... they wanted him to talk about the war, about the people he had been made to kill... the towns burned. He could hear it all now, the soldiers screaming accompanied by the smell of burning flesh and mud all around him. The pure, unending darkness of every battle, nothing but the enhanced sounds and smells to surround him. 

He didn’t realize he was shaking until a warm hand landed on his arm and Yasha’s soft voice sounded from beside him 

“Not everyone wants to talk about the war Jester” and then, more quietly still and clearly meant just for him to hear “you don’t have to say anything you don’t want to Caleb, it’s okay. We don’t need to hear it” 

He nodded, turning to her and trying to convey his gratefulness with a look. She smiled at him, all kindness in her eyes. When he turned back to the table, the others had begun eating the plates of breakfast that he assumed the cook... Nila, had supplied while he had been distracted. Jester looked utterly contrite, chewing her lip and pushing her food around her plate. Caleb felt an odd burst of warmth towards the poor girl, she hadn’t meant anything by her comment he knew. 

He leaned over and placed a piece of bacon from his plate onto hers, waiting until she looked up at him before he smiled what he  _ hoped _ was a reassuring smile. 

It must have worked, because she smiled back brightly, picked up the bacon and started eating properly. He turned back and smiled down into his tea, the distinct feeling of ‘I-did-good' warming his chest further. 

He ate in silence for a while, only half listening to the chatter around him. He felt his eyes drawn back to the book sitting on the table, he really wanted to go back to reading it... but that would be horribly rude. 

“ _ Mind your manners boy. Anything they do to punish you I will make look like fun” _ the voice in his head said, and he sighed. 

There were eyes on him. He knew it wasn’t Jester, she was talking to Beauregard and Nott about something. He could see Yasha out of the corner of his eye, nodding along to a story Molly was telling her. He looked to the far side of Yasha and was surprised to see amber eyes looking back at him. The captain was staring at him, expression unreadable, and Caleb felt a little swooping sensation in his stomach. It didn’t feel like fear... but he wasn’t sure what else to call it. 

“I was just wondering what you were reading” Captain Fjords voice was calm, gentle even, and he was smiling kindly, but Caleb was nervous about answering. 

“I... ah” Caleb began, hating the uncertainty in his own voice “it is poetry a-and folk stories from the pre-Calamity era” he felt heat spreading across his cheeks “we didn’t really have anything like it at the Academy and I was curious...” he trailed off, looking away. 

_ “Frivolous. They will think you some air-headed moron”  _ sneered the voice in his mind. 

“That sounds interesting” came Yasha’s voice from next to him, he looked at her and found her smiling “I like poetry, I didn’t even know it existed until I came to the Empire” 

He nodded, smiling back “the library has a wide selection from all over Exandria, if you are interested” 

\---- 

The rest of the morning was taken up with packing and preparation, they were headed to Zadash that afternoon and would spend the night at this “Evening Nip” the others kept mentioning. Caleb was curious about it, Master Ikithon had never stayed at inns during the rare times they travelled, preferring instead to have himself or one of the others cast Magnificent Mansion. 

Come morning, they would set out towards the town of Berleben, which was about 120 miles from Zadash. It would take them roughly a day and a half, so that meant a night camping on the road. Caleb wasn’t particularly worried about whatever they might run into on the road, he knew the Nine’s reputation. His own magic could only help in protecting everyone. He was curious about it though, the camping. He was fairly certain they wouldn’t request the mansion, as they would be travelling with a cart and horses that wouldn’t be able to enter the protective space. Perhaps the tiny hut spell would be acceptable? They still wouldn’t fit the horses and such  _ in  _ the hut, but they would be able to monitor them better.

Yes, that seemed like a good idea. 

Caleb met the others just before noon in the main courtyard, the same one where they had greeted him and his Master only a few short weeks ago. It was odd, thinking about it now, it seemed like much more time had passed.

The cart had a fabric roof, with flaps that could be tied open at the back but no benches on the inside. There were two horses hitched up already, and two more standing saddled and ready for whoever was going to ride alongside. Jester smiled and waved at him from the back of the cart, clearly calling him over. He shouldered his pack and walked to her quickly, finding it far less difficult to smile back than it should have been. 

“Come up here Caleb! Caduceus and Veth like to drive, and Beau and Fjord prefer to ride separately… but sometimes Yasha trades out with them, but for now it’ll be the three of us in here!” 

Caleb nodded, climbing into the cart, and tucking his pack along the side with everyone else’s. Zadash wasn’t far away, only about an hour’s ride if the roads were clear. He settled in with his back against the side of the cart, across from the two Tieflings. They travelled in silence for about half an hour, Jester had pulled out a sketchbook and was drawing feverishly. Caleb was only mildly nervous about the way her eyes flicked to him occasionally, as far as he could tell her sketches were just for fun anyway. Mollymauk had pulled out some cards about wo minutes in and was shuffling and drawing them over and over, looking mildly perturbed at whatever they were showing him. 

Caleb itched to pull out a book from his pocket dimension, but Master Ikithon had always had them sit silently during travel, no distractions allowed. So instead, he turned his thoughts to their mission. He had packed his blindfold but could not fight the nervous thought that he may not have time to put it on. When he went out with the other Volstrucker during the war the attacks had been meticulously planned out. They would be warned before they reached their destination and it was expected that they would be blinded and ready by the time the cart stopped. 

An escort mission like this, with two nights of camping on the road and at least one night in an unknown inn… he was fairly certain he wouldn’t get the level of warning needed. Caleb hadn’t fought without the blindfold since he was a child, even sparring matches and training were done blind. Would it hinder his abilities? 

Wulf had confided in him, just before they left for these new missions, that he had been practicing. Training on his own without his blindfold, trying to see what it did to his ability to cast accurately. He had called it exhausting. 

Too much information, the sun getting in his eyes (what little sun there was at the academy) was painful and the minds attempt to automatically track with vision making the habit of tracking through sound more difficult. 

All told, his fr-… no. The fellow soldier hadn’t found much good in the practice, preferring to stick to their known methods. 

“What’cha thinkin’ about Caleeeb?” 

Jesters voice startled him out of his thoughts, he snapped his eyes to her and blinked as he came back to the present. 

“Oh, ah… just thinking about the mission” he said, pushing back guilt for the half lie. 

“Oh! You looked really serious so I thought it might be something like… super scary or something” 

He shook his head, offering her a small smile which she returned ten fold

“ _ Nein _ , just going over possibilities in my head… it is an old habit”

“What kind of possibilities?” Mollymauk asked, looking up from his cards curiously 

“Ah…j-just going through possible protections I can offer to help keep the team from being attacked on the road. Since we will have to camp on the way to Berleben” 

Mollymauk frowned slightly, tucking his cards back into a pocket and flopping down with his head on Jesters lap. She lifted her sketchbook out of the way instinctively, as if this was something that happened all the time.

“Well that sounds utterly depressing” the lilting accent always made him sound just the slightest bit bored, and Caleb hadn’t quite figured out how to tell when it was  _ just _ accent. 

Caleb shrugged slightly, not sure what to say to that. 

“Well  _ I  _ think it’s super nice and helpful!” Jester responded, poking Mollymauks nose with her pencil (he stuck out his tongue in response) “Caleb is trying to help keep us  _ safe  _ Molly! That’s like, super cool and way more helpful than just sitting around reading cards” 

“And doodling is helpful  _ how _ exactly darling?” he smirked

“I’m drawing for the  _ Traveler _ Molly! He can totally help keep us safe too!” 

They continued to bicker in a good natured way, both smiling and clearly enjoying themselves. Caleb found himself wondering what that would be like… having someone you’re so comfortable with that you can play argue that way. Someone who really  _ knows _ you in a way that they could use against you, but you know they never would.

_ Sentimentality is weakness.  _

_ Friendship is unnecessary distraction. _

The voice in his head was such a clear sound, Caleb felt himself flinch as if Master Ikithon really was in the room. His master was right, of course, friendship would only distract you. Being able to protect yourself and get the job done meant avoiding personal connections like that. Anything that came between a soldier and the empire was a danger, and should be avoided at all costs.

He spent the rest of the trip in silence, just letting the conversation of his travel companions wash over him instead. He heard the voices of guards when they stopped at the gates to the city, muffled enough that they were just a buzz, followed by the smooth rumble that was Captain Fjord’s voice. They were allowed into the city, and from the gates it was only a few minutes before they were stopping again. 

This time, the flaps at the back of the cart were pulled back, letting in a wave of sound and a sudden burst of light. Caleb squinted, trying to adjust to the sudden change and instantly tempted by the blindfold he knew was in his pocket. But they weren’t under attack… they were just in the city, of course it was loud. 

“C’mon out guys, we need to stable the horses and get inside” Beauregard said, holding out a hand. Jester pushed the bags out towards the entrance of the cart, and followed Beauregard. 

Mollymauk waved a hand, gesturing for Caleb to head out ahead of him, Caleb nodded and climbed out of the cart with his pack. 

There was a moment of complete overstimulation as Caleb’s eyes adjusted. The sheer level of sound, and movement and  _ people _ was too much, too bright, too loud. He covered his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing, he couldn’t remember ever being around this many people. The rushing in his ears wasn’t loud enough to drown the noise, instead it only added another layer of  _ too much _ . 

There was a tentative pressure on his back, and suddenly someone was steering him away from the crowd. A large, worn out, wooden door opened ahead of him, the inside of the tavern was darker than outside. The smells of ale, old wood and cooked meat hit his nose as the door shut behind him. His vision calmed, the pressure on his back was still there, though not pushing anymore, just steadying. 

He heard Captain Fjords voice, telling someone to go talk to the bartender. The rushing in his ears slowed to a stop and his eyes adjusted properly, showing him a dark wood interior, lit by a large candle filled chandelier in the center of the ceiling and filled with wooden booths. A few patrons were there, but none paid any attention to the group. Looking to his right, he saw Captain Fjord next to him, speaking quietly to Yasha. The tall woman smiled warmly when she noticed Caleb looking at her, and seeming to see the expression change, the captain turned and smiled as well. 

“These cities are far too busy, if you ask me” the captain said simply

Caleb nodded, feeling his neck heat as he realized just who’s hand was rested against his back. The captain nodded, smiling still, and the comforting pressure disappeared as he stepped towards the rest of the group. Yasha tilted her head towards them, and Caleb nodded again, falling into step beside her. 

“Evening Clive” Molly smiled at the bartender “we’re parched. Though we have no coin, we’d be willing to offer many gifts” the Tiefling winked at the end of the strange sentence. 

Caleb realized it must be a passphrse, as the old man nodded and led them all back into a storange room behind the bar. The shelves were full of various bottles of booze, and dried goods for patrons. Clive pulled on a chain that hung from the ceiling, and Caleb had to hold back a gasp as a trap door was revealed. The stairs curled away into darkness, but the rest of the Nine didn’t seem worried as they thanked Clive and headed down. 

“Get ready to meet someone very… odd” Yasha whispered from next to him as they walked

He chuckled and whispered back “I think I am getting very used to that”

\----

Fjord smiled as they walked into the Evening Nip proper, the well lit and much more lively portion of the tavern. The atmosphere always put him in mind of adventure, of escaping the dull day-to-day and getting back on the road. He had been desperate for this feeling again, the feeling of doing something. He was so sick of sitting at home, fielding letters from nobles of the Empire and Dynasty alike. Dancing around the political scene while trying to avoid offending anyone important. He wanted to be back on the road, wanted adventure.

Seated in the far right corner, at a well carved dark wood table, was the man of the hour. The Gentleman was, as always, lounging with a glass of wine, feet on the table and an easy smile on his face. Fjord nodded when the man held up a hand in his usual mixture of greeting and beckoning. He turned to look at the Nine, eyes going from face to face and trying to track where they all were. Jester looked excited, ever since discovering that the Gentleman was her father, she had been even more interested in working with him. Nott was eyeing the bar, probably deciding what she was going to order (on the Gentleman’s coin, of course), while Beau was checking out a half-elf woman currently sitting at the bar. Caduceus was… well, he was Caduceus; he was looking around in serene curiosity and just taking it all in. 

Fjord eyes found Yasha and he felt himself relax, she was standing right next to Caleb, talking quietly to him while the human took in the room. He had the same look Fjord had seen on his face when presented with a particularly old tome… like he was making calculations in his head. Caleb turned his eyes to Yasha and smiled gratefully, responding to something she said. 

This was good, Yasha would be able to help their new wizard get through what was likely to be a very odd conversation. Fjord flexed his hand at his side, he could still feel the sensation of the other mans racing heartbeat under his skin. He hadn’t considered how overwhelming a city like this could be for someone like Caleb… someone who saw the inside of buildings and pretty much nothing else. It had been instinct more than anything that had led to him placing a hand on the wizards back and steering him inside. He had been worried that the touch would frighten Caleb more once they were indoors, but luckily that didn’t seem to be the case.

Shaking his head to clear it, Fjord walked over to the Gentleman’s table with an easy smile. 

“Afternoon Gentleman, how’re you today?” 

The Gentleman smiled back just as easily “I’m well as can be my friend, you’re here earlier than I expected, I appreciate that”

Before long, the rest of the Nine had joined them at the table, with drinks of course. Jester had somehow managed to get a seat directly next to the Gentleman and was clearly very pleased with herself. 

“Who have we here?” the Gentleman’s eyes had landed on Caleb, seated next to Yasha. 

Caleb looked up, his face was impassive, but Fjord could see the way his shoulders tightened. Suddenly the calculating look earlier made sense, the man had been looking for exits. Probably sizing up the rest of the patrons as well… And Fjord hadn’t thought to warn him about the Gentleman’s odd “insurance policy”.

Fuck.

Fjord adopted his most charismatic smile “ah! I apologize, I forgot you two haven’t met yet. This here is Caleb, he’s the newest member of our merry little band” Fjord laughed “we’ve gotten so used to having him around, I keep forgetting to introduce him to people!” 

Caleb straightened slightly at that, eyes settling on Fjord briefly before flicking back to their host as the Gentleman laughed too.

“Oh I see! Well…” he turned to Caleb, still smiling “I have a little… insurance policy that I require of the people who work with me” 

“What would that be?” Caleb sounded calm, curious even. 

“A bit of blood, won’t hurt a bit, but it allows me to ah… keep tabs if someone should try to run off with my goods” 

Fjord tensed, this had nearly caused an all out brawl when they had first met the Gentleman… 

“And my… team, have all provided this already?” Caleb asked, only faltering slightly on the word team.

The Gentleman nodded, smile still firmly in place. There was a moment of silence around the table and Fjord was sure he would choke on the tension, fighting back the desire to grab the wizard and bolt. 

“ _ Ja _ , alright. How do you do this?” 

Fjord felt the tension release instantly, as if it had never been there, and he relaxed. The collection of Caleb’s little vial was over with in no time, just as all of theirs had been, and the man never flinched. Fjord did notice however, that once the Gentleman looked away Caleb took a much larger draught from his mug of ale. Were his hands shaking? 

Fjord led the discussion about terms and payment, as well as questions about the route itself and the person they were going to pick up. Supposedly, this woman was a business associate from years ago who was trying to get back into the game. Fjord didn’t care much about the details, only feeling the need for basic description and name. 

“And are they expecting us?” Beau asked finally, eyeing the Gentleman with her usual mix of suspicion and admiration.

“Well, they’re expecting  _ someone _ ” the Gentleman shrugged “I’ll send along a letter so they know you’re working for me, and that should be good enough” 

Beau nodded, satisfied. The Gentleman smiled at them all, waving a hand lazily

“Now, please, enjoy yourselves. You know where the rooms are when you’re ready to retire for the night, just tell Clive when you leave in the morning” 

Hearing the dismissal, Fjord and the others (except Jester, who pulled the Gentleman into conversation immediately) all stood and headed for an empty table. Beau and Yasha got up to grab another round of drinks, and Nott scurried back to the barstool she had abandoned before. Fjord turned to face Caleb, who was sitting one seat away from him.

“I’m sorry about that… the blood thing” he clarified when Caleb tilted his head in confusion. The confused look didn’t leave the wizards face as he responded.

“I… don’t understand what you mean” 

Right, more specific.

“I didn’t think to warn you about it, we’ve been working with the Gentleman for so long that I honestly sort of forgot about it” 

Caleb still looked slightly confused, but he nodded “it isn’t a problem Captain, it was necessary in order to work with the Gentleman, so I did it” he shrugged “there is nothing to apologize for”

Fjord frowned slightly, something in that didn’t sit right. Maybe it was the soldier thing? Unwavering obedience or something. Having that directed at him though… that didn’t sit right at all. 

The next hour was spent with the Nine getting farther into their cups than they had in quite a while. Beau and Nott had sequestered themselves at the bar and were tlking sbout gods knew what. Jester had taken to pestering the Gentleman, which he was handling quite well considering. He even looked like he was enjoying himself at points, which made Fjord smile. Yasha was chatting with a fewof the Gentleman’s men, something to do with weapons from what Fjord could catch of the conversation. Caduceus was doing what he usually did, which meant watching over their friends with Fjord. Mollymauk had sauntered off to either flirt with or annoy the other patrons… Fjord wasn’t going to bother trying to figure out which one. 

Which left Caleb. He was seated at the table, posture relaxed and a tankard in his hands. The eyes though… they gave him away. He was watching the people in the bar, not in the curious way that Cad did, or in what Beau called Fjord’s ‘mother hen’ way. This was more paranoid, he was watching for threats. 

“So, Caleb” Fjord started, sharp blue eyes meeting his and knocking the air from him briefly “which book did you bring with you?” 

The eyes went from sharp to wide and shocked as Caleb worried his bottom lip between his teeth, worry settling in on his brow. He could be so expressive when he was caught off guard. 

“It’s fine” Fjord assured him, smiling “like we said, you’re welcome to the books and that definitely includes bringing them on long road trips” he felt his smile widen when Caleb seemed to relax again “I was just curious about what you brought” 

Caleb nodded, clearly tentative to talk about it “I… well, I brought two” 

Fjord nodded in what he hoped was an encouraging way 

“I found a whole section that appears to be pre-calamity works, histories and folk tales mainly, but I  _ think _ I may have found an arcane tome”

Fjord blinked. This was quite possibly the most Caleb had said directly to him, and it all came out in a rush as if the wizard wasn’t sure he would be able to say it all. 

“Well…” Fjord started, once he had caught up “that sounds pretty fancy, I didn’t even know we had anything like that in the library” 

“Yes it was quite an exciting find” Caleb agreed, he wasn’t  _ quite _ smiling, but he seemed… brighter “I will have to cast comprehend languages, I believe it is written in a pre-calamity dialect of Under Common”

“Really?” 

As it turned out, that was the exact right question. Over the next hour (and the next three drinks, quietly swapped out by Yasha with smiles for Fjord) Caleb talked about this book, and the Age of Arcanum, and how difficult it was to find information from that time. Fjord encouraged him with open ended questions at every turn. He really did love magic, he had been interested in it for years… it had led to him literally entering a pact with an evil sea monster for Gods sake. Hearing Caleb talk about it though, even if he had not had an interest in the arcane already, he would have one now. Fjord had never seen the man as enthusiastic as he was now.

Beau and Nott eventually wandered back, adding their own questions to the conversation. By the time they were all getting tired, Caleb had agreed to teach Nott a few simple spells if she wanted them. Fjord almost asked if he could join in but decided against it. Yes, Caleb was being more open tonight, but there was ale involved right now. Ale and a conversation based entirely on a subject that he was clearly passionate about. 

Once they could talk without the booze, and without Caleb jumping to attention the moment Fjord spoke… then he would ask.

They all wandered off to bed, the long room with rows of beds may have lacked privacy, but it was better than what was waiting for them on the road. Fjord fell asleep thinking of routes and safety precautions. More than anything, the excitement of being back out on the open road, and being  _ free _ again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah-haaaaaa I'm not dead!   
> Sorry y'all, I've been in a writers slump and focused on my Widomauk 😅  
> And also on... my other WidoFjord.... which I haven't started posting but am a little obsessed with 😅😅
> 
> ANYWAY I'll try not to take so long with the next update!


	4. Away We Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the Gentleman  
> Fjord feel jealous  
> Caleb feels 🌟Friendship🌟

Fjord woke everyone up just before dawn, earning him loud grumbling and a  well aimed pillow thrown at his head by Beau. They had a fair amount of ground to cover if they wanted to get into  Berleben before nightfall the next day. Fjord wanted to get as close as possible before the end of this first  days travel, which meant getting his tired (and in some cases hung over) team up and out to the cart. He wasn’t surprised in the least when Caleb rose without complaint and headed for the bathroom to change. The others just dressed in the  bedroom, they were all too used to seeing each other in various  states of undress to worry about it. 

Fjord was just  tying on the last of his armor when Caleb returned, his hair was loose and wavy around his shoulders and Fjord couldn’t help but stare. He watched as the wizard rooted around in his pack for a moment before pulling out a strip of leather, which he used to tie his hair back in the low pony he usually wore. 

“ Ohhhh Caleb!” Jester cooed, skipping up behind him and  tugging lightly on a strand of hair he had missed “you should  _ totally _ let me and Yasha braid your hair for you! We’re like super good at it you know” 

Caleb blinked at her for a moment, clearly confused before nodding slowly 

“Ah... certainly Jester, if you would like to do so” 

Fjord chuckled as Jester clapped and beamed at the ginger, leave it to their resident ball of sunshine to confuse their new wizard with  _ friendship _ . Their expressions were a perfect representation of their personalities... Jester bright and beaming, excited about every aspect of life and Caleb... well, Caleb had his brow furrowed and confusion in his  eyes, but seemed glad to have made Jester happy. 

Adorable,  both of them . 

They finally got everyone out the door and to the stables, stopping to say goodbye to Clive and being handed the introduction letter from the Gentleman in the process. The man himself was still asleep, apparently (which set Beau to loudly grumbling again). The stable hand helped get their cart and horses ready, and they were on the road just as dawn was breaking over the horizon. Caduceus and Nott were seating on the  drivers bench, the  firbolg chatting quietly to the horses while Nott kept lookout. Beau had opted to ride in the cart with Caleb, Jester and Molly, mumbling something about getting more sleep. So, Yasha and Fjord rode beside the cart, half on lookout and half just enjoying the freedom. 

Fjord took a deep breath as the left the city proper, finally hitting the open road again. The morning air was cool and crisp, spring was in full effect now and every plant shone with dew. It was a beautiful sight to behold, with the sun rising to the east of them and bathing everything in pale golden light. Fjord loved mornings like this, when the whole world seemed to be asleep except for you, the hush was relaxing. 

He looked over at Yasha where she rode next to him, she had a look on her face that made him certain her mind was in a similar place to his. She loved the road just as much as him, loved the freedom it brought. They didn’t speak  much, they didn’t really need to.

Around noon they pulled off the road for lunch and so those in the cart could stretch their legs. They had made good  progress, Fjord was sure they would arrive at  Berleben with plenty of time. Though  whether or not the person they were escorting would be willing to leave that afternoon remained to be seen. They had pulled off the road at the edge of a small forest, Nott commenting on how the trees would be good for “private things” and making Fjord roll his eyes. The two  tieflings and the two humans piled out of the cart, Jester bouncing out first, followed by a yawning Beau, then a smirking Molly (that was never good...). Fjord raised an eyebrow at Molly, who just shook his head and nodded toward the cart, the smirk still on his face. Last out was Caleb, and the lavender Tieflings expression made perfect sense as the wizard stood and looked around. Caleb was standing, eyes wide and lips parted ever-so-slightly as he took in the scene around them.

Fjord couldn’t blame him, the woods were beautiful this time of year, with wildflowers growing all around and the wild grasses off the road tall and bright. The others had gone about setting up for a quick lunch and stretch, but Fjord could see the smiles and the way their eyes flicked to the awe-struck wizard. A small worry nagged at the back of Fjords mind as he remembered how overwhelmed Caleb  had been the day before , but it settled once he saw the tension leave the  mans shoulders.

“He asked if he needed to wear his blindfold” Molly almost-whispered next to Fjord. 

Fjord pulled his eyes from the ginger and looked at Molly, raising his  eyesbrow in question. Molly shrugged, still smirking

“I told him we were just eating, so unless he planned to get into a fight over shitty field rations...” he trailed off before the expression softened “I think it was a good call, don’t you?” 

Yasha had walked over and was leading Caleb to the small cookfire, chatting quietly to him as the man smiled and nodded along.

Fjord nodded, watching the pair “yeah, good call Mols”

Lunch went by  quickly, Fjord was anxious to get back on the road and make the most of the daylight. Jester had managed to pick several of the wildflowers from around their little spot and had given them to Yasha with a big smile. Now they were all packed up and getting ready to go, everyone much more awake than they had been that morning. Fjord watched as Jester and Molly tied back the flaps of the cart while they all got settled. Beau and Yasha had switched out, Caddy and Nott were still driving. 

Fjord got up on his horse and couldn’t help but smile when he saw Yasha and Caleb sitting with their legs hanging over the end of the cart. He nodded to them when Yasha looked up, giving a little wave as Caleb smiled one of those rare tentative smiles. He would need to ask if the man could ride, there was nothing like seeing the world from the back of your own horse. 

\----

Caleb took a deep breath, watching the road behind them as he and Yasha sat on the end of the cart. He had been nervous when Fjord had called for a stop at lunch time, thinking of the  panic inducing noise and press of the city the afternoon before. What if  wherever they were stopping had the same effect on him? 

To his surprise, the spot they had stopped had been the exact opposite. The trees providing shade from the over-bright sun and the gentle sway of the tall grasses a relaxing backdrop. It had reminded him of Jesters art at the keep, especially when she had come over to where he was sitting with Yasha and handed a little bouquet of wildflowers to the larger woman. 

Now here they sat, listening to Jester and Molly joke from the inside of the cart while Yasha showed him a book full of pressed flowers. 

“I’ve been collecting them ever since I came to the Empire” she smiled softly at the bright pages “I’m going to take them back some day to show  Zuala ” 

“ Zuala ?” Caleb asked, finding himself genuinely curious as she turned to a new page with a  four leaf clover and a few  pretty yellow flowers

“ Mhmm , my wife” 

Caleb looked up at her so fast his neck cracked, knowing that his shock must show on his face. She smiled kindly at him before looking back at the book.

“She’s dead, but she would have loved this place... it’s so bright and warm. Nothing like the wastes” 

Caleb nodded; he had heard her talk about the wastes before and had read about them as well. They  were described as being a cold, desolate place. He couldn’t imagine living there... or dying there.

“I... am sorry” he said, looking down at the road moving swiftly below them “I didn’t know, you must miss her very much” 

Yasha hummed in agreement, sliding her book closed and tucking it back into her bag. 

“She was wonderful, but she wouldn’t want me to sit around and... not live, you know?” 

Caleb nodded again, it seemed like the thing to do even though he didn’t really understand. The people in this group were all so... open with their feelings. They seemed to communicate more through touch than anything else, whether it was Jester letting Molly lay in her lap or Caduceus offering a hug to anyone who wanted one. There was  _ comfort _ to them, even in the way they dressed in the morning, stripping down all together like it was the most normal thing in the world. 

Odd. 

They spent the rest of the ride seated there, Caleb watched the scenery change and the sun begin to sink. He listened to the cheerful chatter behind him and watched Beau and the Captain bicker in that good natured whenever they passed on horseback. He was surprised to realize as they pulled over for the night that he hadn’t taken his books out at all that day, too distracted and enthralled by the world around him. Was this what he had been missing, after all these years of travelling with a blindfold? He had never felt that it was a loss before, but if this one road was enough to distract him then what must the rest of  Exandria be like. 

They set up a campfire and Caleb fidgeted as he watched the others work. They had a rhythm to them that spoke of their years travelling together, and he couldn’t figure out where he fit into it. Nott and Caduceus puttering around the fire working on dinner, Beau, Molly and Yasha pulling out bedrolls and hooking the horses from the cart. Jester was removing the saddles from the other horses as well “so they would be more comfy!”.

Captain Fjord was walking the perimeter of their little camp, looking for any weak spots when Caleb walked over to him. The half orc turned and looked at him curiously when he walked up, Caleb stopped and stood with his hand clasped behind his back. 

“What’s up Caleb?” the captain asked when Caleb didn’t begin to speak immediately. 

Caleb cleared his throat, took a breath and spoke in the most neutral way possible.

“I was wondering if you would like my assistance with defensive measures?” 

The captain blinked at him, considering “Do you mean like... magically, or on watch?” 

“B-both?” he paused “though, we may not  _ need _ a watch, if everyone wants to sleep”

The other man looked intrigued and nodded towards the camp before beginning to walk that way. Caleb followed a few steps behind, relieved to finally feel like he was of use to the group. They settled around the fire and Captain Fjord asked him to explain what he had meant about not needing a watch.

“Well, I have a spell that creates a protective dome which we could sleep under. No one that I do not allow would be able to enter, it is nearly  impenetrable ” 

Jester and Nott “ ohhhh”ed from across the fire, while Caleb could see the impressed look that  Mollymauk and Beauregard shared out of the corner of his eye. He kept his eyes on a spot just over Captain Fjord’s shoulder however, as it was the easiest way to  feign eye contact . 

“Well that’s mighty impressive” the captain  drawled, eyebrows raised “though I worry about the horses... I assume this dome wouldn’t be big enough for them?”

Caleb shook his head, feeling the heat in the back of his neck. He should have explained both spells. 

“I ah... I also have a spell that allows me to set a perimeter alarm which I could easily place around where the horses are tethered. It  will alert me if anyone not allowed enters that area” 

The captain smiled at him now, looking impressed and Caleb felt a little thrill go through his chest. The others expressed their appreciation, joking about how much easier their other missions would have been if he had been around. That same thrill seemed to settle somewhere in his chest, warming him from the inside and making the small smiles he allowed himself around the group come easier. The rest of the meal was eaten with cheerful chatter, until Captain Fjord announced that they should get some rest. 

The others watched curiously as Caleb laid out his silver thread around the horses, nodding when he felt the spell take hold in the back of his head. He set about casting the Tiny Hut spell, telling the others to pull their bedrolls into the 10-foot circle. He couldn’t help the laugh that burst forth when the walls of the hut (set to be a deep blue-black like the sky outside) popped up and Jester jumped right into Beauregard, knocking them both over. It took them a few minutes to get everyone settled onto their bedrolls, it was much closer quarters than Caleb was used to. He was pressed between Beauregard and the Captain, with Nott curled up between his and  Beauregard's legs like a cat. 

To his surprise, he fell asleep quickly, finding a strange comfort in the soft sounds of everyone breathing and the warmth of being curled up like kittens in a basket. Maybe he could get used to this sort of life. 

\----

Of course, things rarely stay calm for the Mighty Nine. 

Fjord felt a hand on his shoulder and rolled over into a sitting position automatically, summoning his sword without thinking about it. There was a soft  gasp and the hand was removed, and he felt a roll of guilt through his stomach as he took in the shocked expression on Calebs face. The man was kneeling next to him, hand still raised but no longer touching him, eyes wide and uncertain in the faint glow of one of his magical lights. Fjord lowered the sword, setting in on the ground and giving Caleb an apologetic look.

“Caleb... sorry I didn’t mean that” 

The man blinked and shook his head, hand dropping to his lap

“Someone is near the cart” he whispered back instead “the alarm went off” 

“Fuck” Fjord muttered, picking his sword back up and trying to ignore the way Caleb’s eyes flicked to it “okay, c’mon  lets wake the others... quietly yeah?” 

Caleb nodded and they quickly and quietly got everyone roused. The hut vanished silently as soon as Caleb followed him out of it. The air outside was cool, it looked like dawn was just around the corner, but it was still far too dark for any kind of warmth. Fjord could see the outline of maybe 6 people around their cart. He looked at Nott and nodded towards the bandits, she smiled, and her sharp goblin teeth reflected what little moonlight there was. He heard the whisper of the grass and then nothing as she crept away to shoot from a distance. 

Beau, Molly and Yasha had their weapons out and ready, just like him and he could see Calebs hand lingering at the pouch on his hip. There was a sudden shuffle as one of the bandits dropped with a curse, Fjord smiled with pride at Nott’s aim. 

“Caleb” he whispered, “give us a little  light, would you?” 

A curt nod and then there were four magical lights hanging in the air, two above them and two above the cart. The bandits were shouting as they turned to face the Nine. Fjord felt bad, they looked like they had been living rough for a while... but you couldn’t go around stealing from folks. 

“Two choices folks” he called out calmly, sword at the ready “either you  leave, or we end you” 

“You picked the  _ wrong _ cart fuckers” Beau added 

The men stepped towards them, a few holding crude blades and two with rough crossbows at the ready

“Who says we can’t take you  _ and  _ your stuff?” the one Fjord assumed was their leader called. 

Before he could respond, there was a click and Molly cursed from behind him, Fjord looked to see a crossbow bolt sticking out of the Tieflings leg. Molly yelled something back at the man in guttural Infernal, beginning to walk forward. Before he got close enough to actually hit the man though, there was a quiet  wooshing noise. 

And then screaming. 

The man who had shot Molly was  _ on fire _ . Fjord looked to  Caleb, whose fingertips were lightly blackened where they hadn’t been before. The wizard looked back at him, uncertain, Fjord blinked and then nodded. Holy Hells did he not want to be on this mans bad side. 

The bandits were freaking out, shouting in panic to their leader and asking what to do. 

“Like I said” Fjord yelled towards them “fuck off or die” 

They chose to fuck off, but not before Molly (still limping) walked over and handed them a bag of coin. 

“Go sleep somewhere warm and then figure out a better career path yeah? I can nearly  guarantee you’ll live a lot longer” 

Fjord rolled his eyes and looked over at Caleb, who was watching Molly with pure confusion on his face. Molly caught the expression too on his way to Jester, he smiled his Carnival Smile and patted the wizard on the shoulder

“Leave things better than you found ‘ em Mister Caleb, that’s the goal” 

In the time it took to pack up their campsite, heal Molly and eat something, the expression of confusion never left Caleb’s face. Not that Fjord was watching him or something... he just happened to notice. They were on the road just after dawn again, and despite the rude awakening Fjord had to admit he was okay with it. They would get to  Berleben around noon hopefully, they could find the Gentleman’s contact (someone named  Febron Keyes) and either leave right away or find an inn for the night. 

When they arrived in town, it looked just as miserable as he remembered. The rode through the Puddles District, headed for the Keystone Pub. The horses didn’t seem particularly excited about being  lead into the damp  stables, but went with some encouragement from Cad. Fjord kept an eye on Caleb at  first, but was pleased to see that this much less busy city didn’t seem to bother him the way  Zadash had. The wizard was eyeing the rope ladder that lead up to the bar suspiciously, eyes narrowed and a small frown. 

Fjord walked over and tapped his shoulder lightly, holding his smile even as the smaller man jumped at the contact. 

“Up we go!” he said bracingly, before grabbing the ladder himself and climbing up. 

He didn’t like to leave Caleb down there, but reasoned that he wasn’t  _ alone _ , he just... wasn’t with Fjord. It was fine, he would be fine. The inside of the bar was much nicer than the outside, warm and cozy with oil lamps casting low light around the room. The stage had been completed since they were last there and a young dwarven woman was playing a fiddle for the few patrons. 

Fjord walked over to the bar, secured all four rooms in the lower level of the place and bought a round of drinks as the others shambled in. Beau came over and helped him carry the tray to a free table, looking around as she did so. 

“You ask the bar tender if he knows the guy we’re looking for?” 

Fjord shook his head, he should have thought to do that but hours on horseback made a man thirsty. 

Beau rolled her eyes, took her tankard and walked back to the bar with it. Fjord found himself sitting across from Nott, Caleb and Molly , with Jester and Caduceus on his right and Yasha on his left. He looked up to find Caleb staring back as the wizard took a long pull from his tankard and grimaced.

“So, what d’you think of  Berleben so far Mister Caleb?” he took a gulp of the awful ale. 

Caleb seemed to consider it for a moment before responding, deadpan 

“I appreciate that you all are keeping a balance on which places you bring me to, too much beauty seems like it would be damaging”

The table  stared; Fjord felt his jaw drop slightly before a burst of laughter from next to him shocked him out of it. Silence broken; the others all joined in (except Caduceus who just smiled fondly at their new wizard).

“Was that an actual  _ joke _ dude?” Beau laughed, dropping down into the free chair next to Yasha and holding her tankard up in a ‘cheers’ motion. 

Caleb’s cheeks were pink, and he lifted the tankard up to try and hide behind another long sip. He coughed as Molly patted him on the back jovially. Fjord smiled as Molly apologized, hands up placatingly while Nott chewed him out. Pulling his eyes from the trio across the table, he looked to Beau.

“So, any info on Keyes?”

She swallowed her sip, glaring at the tankard then nodded to him

“Yup, says he comes by most afternoons and should be here any time” she paused to look around “apparently we’ll know him when we see him, whatever the fuck that means” she shrugged. 

So, they waited.

They hung around the pub, drinking the awful ale and eventually ordering food to go with it for just over three hours. Any hopes Fjord had had about leaving that day were long since gone, so he let himself relax a little. He had just finished inspecting a couple who had wandered in and was turning back to the table when he heard Jesters voice, she had swapped places with Nott when the goblin had gone to bug the bartender for something stronger.

“You don’t drink much huh Caleb?”

He looked over, curious, to see Caleb still nursing the second tankard that had been brought to him. The others who drank where on a third or fourth by now. The human shook his head with a little shrug.

“We were rarely permitted to drink, only on holidays or if we had done particularly well on a mission” he looked down into the tankard and frowned “and it was generally... not this” 

“Not completely nasty you mean?” Molly supplied  cheerfully; Caleb smiled bashfully as if he felt bad insulting the  drink but nodded.

“ Zemnian beer is much better” he said simply “we were usually allowed that on holidays, though if Master  Ikithon was dining with us it would usually be wine” 

“Does that mean you’re like a  _ total _ light weight?” Jester teased, elbows on the table and tail swishing behind her.

Caleb  wrinkled his nose at her “I should certainly hope not, no true  Zemnian would admit to that”

“Me thinks he doth protest  too much!” Molly joined in, leaning in the same way.

Calebs face was flushed again, and it had spread to his ears now as he took in the joined attentions of both Tieflings. Fjord rolled his eyes; they were going to give the poor man a heart attack if they kept that up. Before he could stop  himself, he was joining the conversation

“Alright you two that’s enough of that, not everyone drinks like a fish  y’know ” he took a swig from the tankard (the ale wasn’t nearly as bad once you’d had a few) “quit teasing the poor man” 

Jester stuck her tongue out at him while Molly threw an arm over Caleb’s shoulder 

“Oh, c’mon now Captain! You know we tease because we care. We don’t know any other way to show affection!” Molly paused smirking before looking at Beau “see watch: Oi! Unpleasant One!”

“What asshole?” 

“You suck!”

“Not as well as you!” she retorted, flipping him off. He raised a hand to act as though he was catching it like a blown kiss, holding his hand too his heart. The smirking Tiefling turned back to Fjord and shrugged 

“See? She loves me” he winked “even threw a compliment my way with that lovely hand gesture” 

He gave Calebs shoulder a squeeze and the humans face went from pink to red as he seemed to register the conversation. Fjord frowned; Molly knew better than to grab the wizard... how much had he had to drink? Fjord hadn’t been paying enough attention. He opened his mouth to tell the Tiefling to back off, just as the door to the pub opened and a man walked in. This man was jaundiced and hunched, with a bald head and a wandering left eye. He moved like he was nervous, and Fjord was sure this was their guy. 

He stood, looking across the table at the smirking  Teifling and blushing human.

“I think I saw our new friend, Caleb, why don’t you come with me?” 

Caleb shot up, setting the tankard down and moving around the table in the opposite direction of where Molly was sitting. Fjord glanced back to see the smirk gone from the lavender face, replaced by a mix of contrition and confusion. Fjord walked slowly, placing a hand lightly on Calebs arm to slow him down too. The wizard looked at him curiously, the blush was fading but not gone. 

“Next time he pulls something like that, feel free to hit him” 

Caleb just blinked at him, brow furrowing again, and bottom lip pulled between his teeth. Fjord sighed, reached out and pressed the tip of his finger to the wrinkle in between the brows. 

“If you keep doing  that, they’ll get stuck that way” 

It worked, sort of, Calebs eyebrows raised instead but the blush was back. Fjord smiled down at him and shook his head, nodding towards the man at the bar. 

Caleb stood quietly next to him while he spoke

“You wouldn’t happen to be  Febron Keyes would you?” 

The twitchy man looked at him suspiciously “depends  who's asking”

“Fjord” he said, holding out a hand “myself and my crew are here on behalf of our mutual friend, the Gentleman” 

That got his attention, dull eyes went wide and he shook Fjords hand quickly before pulling away and glaring again. 

“Got proof?” 

Fjord pulled out the letter from the Gentleman, and they stood silently while  Febron read it. Apparently satisfied he nodded, looked back at Fjord and said simply

“I’d like to leave in the morning, if it’s the same to you” 

Fjord nodded “meet us here, we’ll be ready to go by dawn”

Business concluded, he grabbed two more tankards, handing one to Caleb and lead the wizard back to their table. To his surprise, Caleb took and empty seat next to him, rather than go back to his original spot. Fjord looked at him out of the corner of his eye, but the other man just sipped at his drink until Yasha pulled him into conversation about a poet she remembered the name of. 

He half listened as she questioned the man on  whether or not he recognized it from the library, keeping his eyes on where Molly and Jester sat across the way. Jester was drawing happily in her sketchbook, muttering under her breath as she sometimes did. Molly had taken out his cards and was shuffling them halfheartedly, glaring when he pulled cards as if they were trying to personally offend him. He would have to talk to the Tiefling about being less  _ hands on _ with Caleb. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh it's been a month I'M SO SORRY.  
> I have so much I want to do with this but IRL stuff + my other fic got the better of me and just... I'M SORRY.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, more unrealized pining and mild flirts to come!


	5. On The Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fjord is a hypocrite  
> Caleb thinks a LOT  
> Friendship and Mischief!

The evening was spent drinking and joking. Nott and Jester cheated their way through a few games of cards, adding to the coin available to them for drinks. Yasha and Beau spent the evening sitting next to each other and chatting, while Caduceus seemed to be giving Molly advice. Fjord  drank and talked to Caleb about magic. The wizard  opened up more the longer they lingered, laughing at Jester and Nott's antics and leaning in when he got particularly excited about a topic. He couldn’t help but smile at the relaxed attention from the smaller man, finding himself leaning in too. 

When they finally went to bed; Jester, Nott and Beau all claimed one room while Yasha, Molly and Caduceus went to another. Fjord half expected Caleb to take one of the rooms for himself... but to his surprise, the wizard followed him. They dressed for bed and stumbled onto the poor excuse for a mattress, both passing out almost instantly, back to back. 

Fjord woke up warm, surrounded by the comforting smell of campfires and old books. He sighed, nuzzling into the softness by his face and breathing deeply. It had been a long while since he had woken up like this, with someone curled tight against him and his nose pressed into warmth. It was a wonderful feeling, infinitely different from the group pile that the Nine indulged in on the road. His bedpartner sighed and shuffled slightly, muttering in an unknown language as he smiled and trailed his lips across soft skin and warm hair. He smiled into their hair, savouring the warmth and softness. 

Gods it had been so long.

He lay there a while, waiting for his mind to catch up with his waking body. Of course, when it finally did, he wished it hadn’t. He had shared a room, and a bed, with Caleb. This wasn’t some stranger he had drunkenly stumbled home with, or a friend he had known for years. No, the warm body he was wrapped around was that of the wizard, the man who had frozen at Molly’s touch, who could barely smile when Fjord was in the room. 

The man with the deep blue eyes and soft ginger hair... who apparently smelled of hearth-fire and parchment. 

Gods damn him, he was going to be in so much trouble. 

He was a  _ hypocrite  _ too, for that matter.

Taking stock of the situation, he could feel Caleb’s breath ghosting against his neck and the weight of his arms draped over Fjord’s torso and one long leg pressed between his. At least he hadn’t just rolled over and grabbed the man... it seemed like the unplanned cuddle had been a mutual thing. He silently cursed the  Labenda Throat Grog and its latent effects. The crew would be hungover for sure when he figured out how to get out of this mess and wake them. 

Slowly as he could, he unwrapped his arms from around the smaller man, shifting his hips away at the same time and hardly daring to breath. He sighed as he finally slid off the bed, stretching and thanking the  Wildmother and any other god that would listen for his luck. He looked down at the man on the bed, his hair had come loose in the night, the leather tie laying uselessly on the thin pillow. He looked younger asleep, the near constant crease in his brow softened and his jaw unclenched. Fjord sighed, they had to go.

He reached down an placed a hand on Calebs shoulder, calling his name softly. 

The blue eyes opened instantly, gazing groggily at the spot where Fjord had been sleeping moments ago before he turned to look up at where Fjord now stood. 

“Time to get ready, I’m going to wake the others” 

Caleb sat up and stretched, nodding as he did so. Fjord left and headed for the other  rooms, it didn’t surprise him that he found  all of his friends in various states of cuddling. They had been a particularly tactile group for years, time spent on the road in  all weather tended to lead to a lack of privacy. And body heat was the best way to stave off  frostbite in the winter when they couldn’t find or afford an inn. 

He had been right about the hang overs, Beau was grumbling and cursing anyone within 5 feet of her (except for Yasha and Jester of course) and Molly’s sliver of a cruel streak was out in full force. Only Jester, Caduceus and Caleb seemed unaffected. The first two he understood, since neither drank alcohol, but he was impressed by Caleb. The grog was always hardest on people who weren’t used to it, even the  relatively small amount the human had drunk should have left him hung over.

They had just finished getting the cart ready when  Febron arrived with his own pack over his shoulder. The man still seemed twitchy and nervous, and Fjord didn’t like it. He could be a problem if they ran into trouble, the captain was sure that the man would run. He caught Caleb eyeing  Febron with a calculating look in his eyes and a slight frown on his face. Seeming to feel Fjord looking at him, he looked back and raised an eyebrow, tilting his head towards their guest. Fjord nodded, glad that the wizard seemed to have clocked  Febron the same way that he had. Caleb nodded back before climbing into the cart behind the older man. 

Beau and Molly had passed out before they were even out of the town, Fjord could hear them snoring from where he rode next to the cart. He rolled his eyes, directing his horse closer to the front of the cart so that he was riding next to where Caduceus sat.

“What do you make of our new friend” he asked quietly

Caduceus hummed “I can understand why the Gentleman needed someone to come get him... doesn’t seem too comfortable out in the world”

Fjord nodded “Yeah, that’s about what I was thinking. I’m just glad it’s a fairly short trip home.” 

He wasn’t sure if he was ready to go back to the keep already, but they had no real reason to stay in  Zadash once they finished this job. Maybe they would be able to find something a bit longer lasting... the Gentleman always seemed to have something that needed doing. Fjord pulled a bit ahead of the cart, enjoying the cool breeze as the sun rose to the east of them. They would make good time again, and hopefully they wouldn’t run into trouble. 

Thinking about the bandits led him down the mental path towards the dome. It had been a huge help, the thing even seemed to be temperature controlled to some extent. They probably wouldn’t use it tonight, he doubted the others would want to share the small space with a stranger. The alarm spell that Caleb had done would have to do for security, that and maybe some shifts on watch. 

Caleb’s magic... now that was something to watch. It seemed to be the only thing the wizard was  actually confident in; it was interesting to see how it changed him. Fjord had thought the level of focus he showed while reading had been impressive, but the pure concentration with which he cast his spells...

He shivered slightly, thinking of the unfortunate bandit. He was set to die the minute he fired at Molly of course, and the fire had certainly gotten their message to the others... but it was brutal. Trying to reconcile that level of efficient killing power with the uncertain look Caleb had given him right after was difficult. Caleb as they knew him (which they barely did, really, it had only been a few weeks) was quiet, relied on perceived authority figures to tell him what to do, and seemed to prefer books to people. 

Though considering the people he had been raised by... yeah, books were preferable to them for sure.

But... there was the Caleb they  _ didn’t _ know, the soldier, the killer. Not that they hadn’t killed, of course they had. You couldn’t call yourself an adventurer or mercenary without killing, it just wasn’t possible. There was something different there though, none of them had been trained... no,  _ raised  _ for it. Beau had combat training sure, but that was meant for interrogation. And Yasha could fight like no one Fjord had ever seen, though he didn’t think she had really been trained per se, she had just lived in a place where you had no choice. 

Calebs skills would come in handy, that much was obvious, but there was a part of Fjord that felt  _ guilty _ about throwing the man into more conflict. 

Fjord thought about how much happier the wizard would be, curled up in the library all day reading everything in sight... no more violence or abuse or pain, and felt a warmth in his chest. That was what the man deserved, he deserved to rest. 

Fjord sighed. Too bad people so rarely got the good things they deserved. Caleb was part of the Mighty Nine now, and they still had far too much to do before any of them got rest. 

\----

They stopped around noon and Caleb couldn’t have been more relieved.  Febron , it turned out, was a very annoying travel companion. He rotated between whining about being uncomfortable in the back of the cart, to jumping at every unexpected noise, to  _ flirting _ with Jester and Beau. Admittedly, Beau’s reactions had been worth the annoyance. 

Speaking of Beau... she jumped from the cart the second they stopped, storming away towards the captain. Caleb followed behind more slowly, watching her gesticulate wildly as she no doubt complained to Captain Fjord. To his credit, the taller man was doing a good job of trying to keep the amusement off his face as he nodded along to her rant. Seeming to sense Caleb looking, amber eyes flicked to his and the corner of his mouth twitched upward into a barely concealed smirk. Caleb might have missed it if it hadn’t been for the matching flash of  amusement in those eyes. 

Caleb found himself biting his lip as he tried to hold back a smile in return, rolling his eyes in the direction of where  Febron was exiting the cart. He tried to get the message of ‘ _ she’s right, he’s awful’ _ across. He assumed he had succeeded when Fjord  actually laughed , trying to pass it off as a cough when Beau punched his shoulder in annoyance. 

Beau looked between the two of them, realizing where Fjord had been looking and waved him over. He froze for a moment, her annoyed expression turned to him now, and felt certain he had made a mistake. What if she took offense, thought he was mocking her rather than  Febron ? Or what if she was annoyed by his distracting the captain while she was trying to speak to him? He swallowed, schooling his face into something more neutral and folding his hands behind his back when he stopped in front of her. He looked down, focusing on the little patch of yellow flowers at his feet while he waited for her to speak. 

He saw Fjord in his peripheral take a half step closer, but the captain didn’t say anything. 

“Could you  _ please _ tell Fjord how freaking annoying that asshole is?” Beau grumbled, Caleb chanced a glance up to see her still turned towards the half-orc, arms crossed “he thinks I’m joking but holy hells I wanted to punch him  _ so fucking bad”  _

Fjord cleared his throat and Caleb looked up at him automatically, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from chewing his lip instead. Fjord was looking at him strangely, brow furrowed, and an emotion Caleb didn’t recognize in his eyes. Was he angry with Beau for voicing her dislike of their guest? Or was he upset that Caleb might have done or said something  _ to  _ the annoying man? He hadn’t, but that rarely mattered in previous similar situations...

Beau was ranting again, every other word a curse and her arms waving with her annoyance. She was turned towards the  captain and hadn’t seemed to notice his change in expression.

“Beau” Fjord’s voice held a quiet warning, and Caleb’s heartrate picked up again. Where they both in trouble now? Should he speak up or stay silent?

“H-he-” Caleb started, fighting to keep his voice calm, Fjord had never minded him speaking up before “he is definitely not the best travel companion” Beau was nodding along beside him, pointing to him now “I admit to ah... finding him frustrating to deal with as well” 

He swallowed as the captain looked him over, that strange expression still on his face.

“Couldn’t we like... knock him out? Just for a little while?” 

Captain Fjord turned to her now, and expression of absolute disbelief on his face 

“Beau. Seriously?  _ No _ we can’t just knock him out!” 

“But like... just for a little while? No permanent damage I swear!” 

Fjord sighed and began trying to explain  _ why _ that was an awful idea, and Caleb took a slow breath. He tried to relax his shoulders, slow his heartrate back to normal. They weren’t in trouble, the Nine had never minded him speaking up. He wasn’t with Master  Ikithon now, this group was different... 

_ “Weak _ ,” said the voice in his head “ _ unacceptably wild. Full of half-breeds and monsters pretending to be human.” _

Caleb glared, shaking his head to dispel that thought. It was cruel, and untrue. The one opinion that his Master had never been able to drill into his head. The non-human people in this group... and in their world, were  _ not _ monsters. Nott was kind, a little overbearing but unendingly kind... And Jester worked so hard to make people smile. 

Mollymauk still frightened him a little, but that had nothing to do with his horns and red eyes... the man was just so  _ bright _ and unlike anyone Caleb knew. It was a lot to get used to. No one in their right mind could ever call Caduceus a monster either, that was unfathomable. The man was so soft, and calm... 

Calebs eyes trailed to Fjord again, and no, definitely not a monster. The captain was understanding, and patient... and Caleb knew the tug in his chest when he looked at the other man wasn’t fear. He wasn’t sure  _ what _ it was, but it  definitely wasn’t fear. 

_ “You are allowing them to distract you, failure.”  _

He shook his head again, even if the voice in his head was right... well he had always been a failure in this way. 

“I bet Caleb has some kind of magic thing that could shut him up without actually hurting him, right Caleb?” 

Caleb snapped to attention, pulling his eyes away from Captain Fjord just as the other man turned to look at him. He paused, looking at Beau and  frowning slightly.

“I... well, yes I do have a spell that could do that, but I worry that may upset the Gentleman” he paused, looking between the two of them “would he not be... angry at us for enchanting his  colleague ?”

Beau shrugged and Fjord rolled his eyes at her, holding out a hand towards Caleb

“See? That’s what I was  _ trying  _ to say. I get that he’s annoying, but you can’t just-”

“Well then  _ you _ ride in the cart with him for the rest of the day and see how you like it!” 

The captain huffed, looking over at the enclosed space of the cart then back at Beau.

“Fine, if it’ll stop your whining I’ll ride in the cart. Now go eat because we aren’t stopping again until nightfall” 

Beau smiled triumphantly and walked over to where the others were grouped up, Caleb felt his shoulder relax another notch. Out of all the group, Caleb felt that Beau and Yasha could probably do the most physical harm to him. Something in Yasha’s mannerisms had convinced him early on that she had no interest in doing so, but he was still nervous about Beau. The monk spent most of her time training and fighting, and she was always loud when she spoke. He jumped slightly, cursing himself for letting his attention wander as Captain Fjord placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. The hand was removed immediately when the other man felt him jolt, and Caleb cursed silently again.

Fjord cleared his throat again and smiled at Caleb, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Just uh... you  oughta get some food too” the hand that had been on his shoulder went to the back of Fjord’s neck, rubbing in a way that almost looked  embarrassed . 

“Oh, yes, of course Captain” Caleb nodded, turning quickly and walking to the others. 

Caleb ate in silence, watching the others interact and thinking over his conversation with Beau and Fjord. If he didn’t know and better, he would have called the look in the captains' eyes  _ concern _ ... but that made no sense. Why would he be concerned with Caleb’s reaction to... well, anything really? 

However ... he had done the same thing the night before, when  Mollymauk had put his arm around Caleb’s shoulders out of the blue. Caleb hadn’t been scared per se, but that level of physical contact was... uncomfortable for him. They didn’t really do physical contact outside of battle drills at the academy. He must not have hidden it well enough. The captain had told him to ‘feel free to punch’  Mollymauk if he did it again, but he had been making that same face. 

Caleb sighed as they climbed back into the cart, this group was confusing. The way they interacted with each other and with other people was strange. He couldn’t wrap his mind around why on earth a superior would be concerned with the comfort of his lessers. 

It didn’t make  _ sense _ . 

They were two hours into the second half of their trip, two hours in which  Febron had not stopped complaining or awkwardly flirting with Jester the entire time. Caleb looked up from his book (he hadn’t really been reading, just trying to avoid conversing with the obnoxious man) when he felt a tap on his foot. He looked up over the top of the book to see Fjord staring at him, rubbing his temples and looking  _ incredibly _ annoyed. 

The captain tilted his head slightly towards Febron, raised an eyebrow at Caleb then nodded to the empty spot on the floor next to him. Caleb nodded minutely, and Fjord slid over, sitting next to him and pretending to look over his shoulder at the book. Caleb fought back a blush as he felt the other mans breath on his ear

“Do you have what you need for that spell?” Fjord whispered, barely audible even this close.

Caleb nodded again, tilting his head to meet the captains' eye and regretting it immediately. They were close enough that Caleb could see the fine stubble just starting to show on the half-orcs jaw. The captain nodded back and whispered in his ear

“If you would be so kind...” 

Caleb shivered slightly, these people and their lack of personal space was going to kill him, he was sure of it. He set his book down in his  lap and looked over at  Febron . He cleared his throat, and made the hand gesture necessary for the spell 

“ _ Hush”  _

Caleb felt the spell take hold and all at once the annoying man was silent. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, realized nothing was coming out and instead turned to stare at Caleb. He started doing what looked like shouting, but the spell just made it look like he was miming his anger. 

Caleb felt the brush of warmth as Fjord chuckled, still leaning into his space

“Well now, that’s a handy spell you’ve got there Mister Caleb” 

Caleb turned his head, leaning slightly to avoid  actually touching the other mans’ face and smiled slightly, a little glow of pride in his chest at the praise. Fjord smiled back for a moment, before pulling away and leaning back against the wall of the cart and closing his eyes. Caleb watched him for a moment, allowing himself to adjust to the sudden absence of warmth against his shoulder. He picked up his  book and continued to read. 

The rest of the trip went by in a blur, Caleb set up the alarm around the cart that  night, and sat through a peaceful shift on watch with Yasha. No one bothered them though, and the Hush spell on  Febron held strong. The man had stopped attempting to yell and had settled for silent pouting instead, which they all agreed was an improvement. 

Caleb found himself getting more nervous the closer they got to  Zadash . They would arrive around noon, which he assumed meant it would be just as bustling and loud as before. He didn’t want to show that weakness again. The captain had let it slide once, but he couldn’t be sure it would happen again. He needed to be able to handle something as simple as going into a city if he was to be useful for the Nine. They stopped about an hour out of town to let those in the cart stretch, and Caleb took a deep breath. 

“Ah... excuse me Nott?” he paused a couple of feet away from the goblin woman, she looked up and smiled at him

“Hey Cay-cay, what’s up?”

He furrowed his brow at the odd name, but let it slide.

“I was- well I was wondering if you would mind allowing me to ride up front with Mister Clay into the city?” 

He bit his lip, watching as she tilted her head curiously at him before smiling again. This smile was softer, understanding. 

“Of course! You could use the sun anyway, you’re too pale” she walked forward and took his hand in one of her small green ones, patting it with the other “and too thin, we’ll need to get a good meal in you” 

“A-ah... Thank you?” 

She nodded again smiling, patted his hand one more time and walked over to where Jester was climbing into the cart. 

Caleb climbed up onto the bench where Caduceus was already sitting, his large floppy hat shading his peaceful face.

“Hello there Caleb, nice to have you” 

“ _ D- _ _ danke _ Caduceus, I appreciate you and Nott allowing this switch” 

“Oh you’re welcome up here anytime, I’ll even teach you to steer if you like” 

“That is... very kind, thank you” 

Caduceus hummed in response, speaking softly to the horses when Fjord gave him the go-ahead to get moving. He felt like his skin must be vibrating with how his nerves felt beneath it, the city gates were in sight and he was working on just keeping his breath steady. 

The captain rode up to his side of the cart, Yasha doing the same on the other side so they would take up less room on the road. Caleb counted his breaths, three seconds in, three second hold and three seconds out. It helped, but not enough, his heart was still rabbiting in his chest when they finally reached the gate. 

“Caleb” 

He looked over to where Fjord was riding, their heights almost the same now. The captain smiled kindly at him.

“If it’s too much, put up your hood” 

Caleb nodded, he hadn’t thought of that, and tried to smile back. He knew it didn’t quite work, but he tried. 

The guards at the gate took one look at their group and waved them through, Caleb supposed that being heroes of the empire really did have its benefits. The outer portion of the city wasn’t as busy as the inner ring where the Evening Nip was located. It was still loud, and bustling, and the sheer amount of people was hard to deal with, but Caleb didn’t feel the suffocation that had come with the last visit. He  focused on his breathing, counting the studs on the horses' harnesses as they got further into the city. 

To his surprise, the captain began talking quietly to him as they rode, telling him the names of the districts, what kind of things they could find there and other little facts about  Zadash . Caleb found himself watching Fjord’s face instead of the horses, nodding along with the information presented to him. The half-orc kept a small smile on his face the whole time, looking away from Caleb only to point out certain buildings and landmarks. 

Before he knew it, the cart was pulling to a stop in front of the Evening Nip. He watched as Fjord hopped down from his horse, handed the reigns to the stable hand and held out his hand. Caleb blinked, surprised, but took the offered hand and climbed down onto the cobblestones. His legs were numb from sitting for so long, and he hit the ground harder than he would have otherwise. He tilted, gripping Fjords hand tighter in the process as a second hand landed on his arm, steadying him. 

“Easy there” he looked up at Fjord, feeling the heat in his cheeks, but the captain just smiled “the reason I stopped riding with Cad, that bench is awful” 

Caleb swallowed and nodded, standing up straight as Fjord released him. There was that tug in his chest again. The others joined them then, Beau handing him his pack and nodding when he thanked her. They trouped into the pub, Clive moving towards the storeroom automatically when he saw them. The walk down the curved stairs felt far less ominous this time. The Gentleman was at the same table, with another glass of deep red wine in hand, and he smiled when he saw them enter. 

Caleb wasn’t sure about this man... he was clearly a criminal, that much was obvious, and Fjord said they had done work for him for years. He was also  _ somehow _ Jester's father? He didn’t have the  Nicodranean accent that Jester had, but it being a port city made him  having met her mother in passing a viable possibility. 

“Well hello there my friends” the Gentleman's voice had a purr-like quality to it “I’m glad to see my little errand wasn’t too taxing for you” 

Fjord smiled and shook his head “Not at all, a nice ride through the fields really” 

Caleb held back a snicker as Beau shoved  Febron to the front of the group. The man being mouthing words and gesticulating angrily at the wizard. He felt his stomach drop, the spell, he had forgotten to release the spell. 

_ Scheiße _

He looked to  Fjord, eyes wide with horror while the Gentleman watched  Febron get more  red-faced by the moment. 

“Oh, right” Fjord chuckled “go ahead Caleb” 

Caleb dropped the spell and instantly  Febrons annoyed (and frankly, annoying) voice filled the space. 

“and their  _ bastard  _ of a fucking wizard decides to  _ fucking _ _ hex me  _ or some shit!” He pointed angrily at Caleb now, realizing his voice was back “this fucking moron was supposed to be helping  _ protect _ me!” 

Caleb felt, for what felt like the dozenth time that day, his heart rate spike. The Gentleman was eyeing him with an unreadable expression on his face, stroking the pointed goatee that adorned his chin. Caleb resisted the urge to look at the captain again, he had failed to remove the spell and now their employer was certain to be angry. Would Fjord let the other man dole out punishment, or would he do it himself? There was certainly enough space and weaponry in the pub to make it possible. He tugged at the edges of his shirt behind his back, trying to hide the fidgeting that he couldn’t quite avoid. 

As the silence stretched, he felt his chest get tight, the tension robbing him of the ability to breathe properly. He tried to calm himself, counting burn marks in the tabletop and waiting. 

“Is that true mister wizard?” The Gentleman’s voice was somewhere between playful and mocking, Caleb nodded in response. It was a sharp, jerky movement and he bit the inside of his cheek, tasting blood. He could say that Captain Fjord had asked him to, but the captain wasn’t offering that information and it wasn’t his place to lay blame on a superior. 

“Hey now” Fjords voice, calm if a little reproachful rang out next to him “I asked him to do it”

Caleb couldn’t help but look up now, feeling his mouth open in surprise (or maybe to deny it, he wasn't sure). Fjord had an eyebrow raised while he looked at the Gentleman, expression calm.

“Your man here was causing considerable distress with his constant whining. I did what was best for my crew and asked Caleb here to help me shut him up” Fjord shrugged “he wasn’t hurt, which is how we could have done it” he turned and glared at  Febron “and he’s  _ fucking annoying _ to be around. I don’t envy you” 

Febron stuttered at the insult, looking between the Gentleman and Fjord. Caleb tried not to shake, this man was a  _ criminal _ , and a powerful one at that, who had their blood on ice. The captain was playing a dangerous game here, and Caleb couldn’t let it get them in trouble. 

“Captain I-” 

He jumped as he was cut off by a roar of laughter from the Gentleman’s end of the table. They all looked over to see him sitting with his head in his hand laughing fit to burst. 

“Oh, oh my good captain! No truer words have been spoken” 

Caleb blinked, confused as the blue man turned to  Febron and rolled his eyes dismissively.

“You’ve done adequate work for me out in the swamps, that’s why you got an escort back. If you annoyed them enough that they needed to use magic to  shut you up then that’s  _ your _ problem. Our deal is done, go away” He waved a dismissive hand towards the still stuttering man and two large  tabaxi women steered him away. The Gentleman smiled at them, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye “now that  _ that’s _ done with! Here’s your payment, I know your keep is only a few hours ride but of course you’re free to spend the night” 

His eyes drifted to Caleb and the wizard  straightened where he stood. The Gentleman stared at him for a moment, seeming to size him up before he winked and looked to Fjord again

“You might want to keep this one around, loyalty is hard to find these days” he turned his charming smile back to Caleb “but, if you ever get tired of playing heroes, I can always use a hand around here” 

Confusion bloomed in Calebs chest at the words, why would he leave the Mighty  Nine? He belonged to them now, that was the deal made with Master  Ikithon . And besides  that ... he found that he didn’t  _ like _ the idea of leaving them. Before he could say anything though, Yasha’s soft voice spoke from just behind him.

“I think we’ll go get a drink now” she placed a large, warm hand on his arm and steered him to a table in the far corner of the room. 

The others joined them within minutes, Beau and Jester leading the way with trays of drinks and Nott scurrying after them with a tray loaded with food. The little goblin hopped up into the free seat on Caleb’s other side and dished him out a plate piled with food. She pushed it towards him and patted his hand the way she had on the road. He stared from the over large portion to her overlarge eyes and felt a small smile on his lips. She beamed, stole a piece of bacon off the plate and munched on it while she loaded up her own food. 

The group decided to stay the night, the draw of free booze and music too much to ignore.  Mollymauk pushed a tankard across the table to him with a smile. Caleb raised an eyebrow as he took it, he looked down and sharply back up at the  Tiefling .

“Turns out your weird beer is popular enough here that they have no less than three different types on tap” the smile turned to a smirk “I just told them to pick whichever the other weird northerners liked best” 

“ _ Danke _ -thank you, Mollymauk” 

The Tiefling waved his thanks away “least we can do after making you drink  Labenda Throat Grog, that stuffs like two steps away from literal bog water”

The others laughed, and Caleb smiled, taking a long drink from the tankard and enjoying the familiar  flavour . It wasn’t the exact stuff they had drunk at the academy, but it was close enough to bring that warm feeling to his chest again. These odd, infuriatingly confusing people he had found himself with... He wouldn’t trade this. No matter what that sneering voice in his head wanted him to believe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The spell Caleb used is https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Mute_(5e_Spell) and I’m not sure if it’s official or homebrew but it fit perfectly so I’m invoking the “my AU, my rules” ...rule. 
> 
> I rolled for Fjord's sneaking out of bed moment and miraculously the man rolled higher than Caleb's passive perception. I wasted a Nat 20 for that silliness.  
> Anyway, Fjord is a Disaster Gay and they’re both dumb. Also, this gets more self-indulgent every chapter and honestly, I'm not sorry😘💖
> 
> ::Edit::  
> I'm making a playlist as I go, it's LOOSELY chronological, and might move around a bit.   
> spotify:playlist:33JXhGBM38TMmyOc8Qx1Iz


	6. Time Flies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time jumps forward and we get a glimpse into the growing friendships between Caleb and the Nine!

Spring gave way to summer, chilly mornings replaced by warm days in the landlocked  Dwendalian Empire. Two months had gone by since Caleb joined them, and Fjord couldn’t believe it. The wizard had  opened up in a way that he never thought he would see. He was still stiff around Fjord, but from his office window, he could watch the others in the inner courtyard. He watched Caleb read with Yasha in the afternoons, quietly sitting under the trees that line the path. 

He watched Jester and Nott pull him into the crowd of guards cheering as Yasha and Beau sparred in in the cool mornings. The wizard started off unsure, but after a few matches he was cheering with the rest of them, a spot of copper hair in the crowd. Fjord was there the day, a month in, that Jester ran through the keep, yelling for all of them and dragging the poor man behind her by the hand.

Jester led them to Caleb’s room, throwing open the door and piling them all in. She had moved his bed to the middle of the room and had a large tarp loosely covering one wall. With a flourish she had tugged the tarp down and stood doing jazz hands to show off the massive mural she had painted for Caleb. Fjord couldn’t help but smile at the wizards' look of complete awe. Jester had spent their down time between jobs painting a wall of books. It looked like the library that Caleb loved so much, and when he had stuttered out a thank you (“ _ D- _ _ danke _ _ Jester, it is... it’s wunderbar” _ ) she had wrapped him up in the first hug Fjord had ever seen the man accept. 

There had been jobs too, they couldn’t sit still that long after all. Caleb’s magic had been amazing to watch, he seemed more powerful every time they battled. Fjord couldn’t help the little surge of pride as the other man seemed to figure out exactly where he fit in the group. At least when they were fighting. 

Fjord thought of the first fight they had been in after their job with  Febron ... they had faced off against a nest of giant spiders. The hope had been that attacking in daylight would make it easier to sneak up on the creatures. The battle had started off badly, Caleb had forgone his blindfold after Jesters encouragement... and had clearly struggled. It wasn’t until the Tiefling girl had gone up behind him and covered his eyes that things had changed. 

Suddenly he had been a completely different caster, he didn’t miss an attack and was much more liberal with defensive spells. Fjord remembered Beau’s excitement over the Haste spell Caleb had cast on her, making her already inhuman speed even more ridiculous. 

Jester had gone into town the next morning and had a handful of blindfolds made in increasingly sheer fabrics. Now, two months in, Caleb was using a blind fold that was sheer enough that you could make out the blue of his eyes behind it. He didn’t shy away from sitting in the sun with Yasha and Caduceus anymore either.

After their battles, he shouldn’t have been surprised when he had gone downstairs one morning to find Caleb and Beau sitting in the dining hall with stacks of books all around them. Fjord had known the younger woman had an interest in history (no matter how she had tried to deny it) but watching the way they worked together, comparing notes and talking in low voices... He had decided to eat in the kitchens that day. 

Now, Fjord had been drawn to the front hall by the loud voices he heard from his study. He smiled as he recognized  Yeza and Luc, wrapped around Nott and smiling brightly. Nott was in her halfling disguise and looked overjoyed to see her husband and son again. She grabbed Calebs hand, pulling him from where he stood at the door of the dining hall.

“Caleb! You remember  Yeza I’m sure”  Yeza waved happily “but this! This is my Luc” the sheer love in her voice put a knot in Fjords throat as he walked closer. 

To his surprise, Caleb crouched down to smile at the little boy. 

“Hallo there Luc, your mother has told me all about you. I hear you are very clever” 

The little boy brightened up and nodded, clearly enjoying the praise. 

“Caleb has been teaching me magic!” Nott added, smiling at her husband “I can send messages, and create a spectral hand” she sounded so proud.

“And she has taken to it wonderfully” Caleb’s voice is soft... _ fond _ even. 

Fjord walked over, waving and calling out. Caleb stiffened up briefly but stood and sent a tentative smile his way. 

“Yeza! And Luc! Great to see you, roads weren’t too bad?” 

Yeza shook his head “all dried out now, we had a peaceful journey” 

“Good  good ” Fjord nodded, he like the halfling man, he was smart and kind. 

The little family left to get settled in their rooms, and Fjord turned to Caleb who was standing there as if he wasn’t sure what to do now. 

“Have you finished breakfast?” 

Caleb started slightly before shaking his head

“Mind if I join you?”

“ _ Nein _ , of course not captain” 

Fjord bit back a sigh as he followed the wizard back into the dining hall. Two months in and the man was still insistent on calling him “captain” instead of Fjord. Watching him get closer to the others, watching him interact and start to smile... all it had done was highlight for Fjord the way the man still seemed to view him as an authority figure instead of a teammate. 

They sat in a reasonably comfortable silence, Caleb had a stack of books next to his plate and he was pouring through one now. Fjord had no idea what language it was written in, but it almost looked like an old journal. The wizard must have felt him staring because he looked up over his tea and eyed him curiously. That was an improvement at least, Fjord found himself thinking, at least he didn’t look at him with fear. 

“Just curious about what you’ve got there, it looks old” 

Caleb swallowed his sip, and nodded

“ _ Ja,  _ it is, I found it tucked in behind several other near ancient tomes” he held up the book, something like awe in his too-blue eyes “it is written in  Zeidel, the language that  Zemnian is based on” 

He looked down at the page he had been so  focused on, chewing the inside of his cheek for a moment before looking up at Fjord again. The determination in his eyes was new, and Fjord found himself leaning in, unable to resist the pull. 

“Nott... she has told you her history?” 

Fjord nodded, a pang in his chest for the poor goblin woman. Torn from her family and forced into the body of the very creatures who had taken her. She had poured out her whole history to them long ago, when they saved her husband from a prison is  Xhorhas . 

“I think... I have not told her this yet, so please keep it close to your chest  ja ?” 

He nodded again, for some reason the idea of having a secret between them sent a burst of warmth through his chest. Caleb nodded back, that same serious expression on his face.

“I think I may be able to return her to her original form. Permanently.” 

Fjord felt his jaw drop as he stared at the man next to him. That was... it was supposed to be impossible. Nott had said as much herself. 

And yet... here sat this man, still too pale and too thin, with bags under his ocean blue eyes saying that he could do it. Because if Fjord knew anything about Caleb, it was that when he  said “ I think I can” , then he absolutely could. He had seen that enough in the last two months. 

“Caleb... that’s  amazing”  he breathed the last word out, unable to hide the awe in his voice.

The wizard blushed, cheeks going the shade of pink that meant he didn’t know how to respond to something. 

“Don’t say anything yet, I need to do more research” 

“Of course, if you... I mean” Fjord stuttered “I’m not as smart as you obviously, but if there’s a way I can help...”

Caleb looked at him like he was trying to sort through a difficult spell, and Fjord felt his heart skip a beat at the intensity of the stare. 

“I appreciate that Captain, I’ll be sure to ask” 

And he smiled, one of those small, tentative smiles... but still, a smile. 

Fjord smiled back. 

\----

It had been two weeks since their conversation,  Yeza had taken Luc home, when Fjord overheard Caleb walking in the garden with Nott. 

“Nott... I think I can do it”

Her voice was soft and uncertain when she responded “do you mean it Caleb? Really?”

Fjord rounded the corner to see the wizard on one knee, holding the goblin  girls hands in his and smiling warmly at her while he nodded. Nott threw her arms around Caleb’s neck, and Fjord felt a warm tug in his chest when the man hugged her back just as tight. 

At dinner that night, Nott announced to the table that she and Caleb were working on a way to get her body back. They celebrated with wine and extra dessert. 

Fjord smiled when he found Yasha, Nott, Beau and Caleb laying in the grass of the inner courtyard, staring up at the stars. He walked over slowly, listening to Caleb telling them about the names of the stars. 

“Mind if I join in?” 

The little group looked over in unison and smiled tipsy smiles at him, Beau patting the space between her and Caleb. He went and laid down, chest warming as Caleb continued his little lesson. Fjord already knew most of the information, having been a sailor. But hearing the humans warm accent explain it all was like learning it all over again. There was something in the reverent way that he described the shapes and meanings of constellations that made it all seem different. Something in watching his pale finger, always stained with ink or ash, drawing pictures in the sky that was so soft... a glimpse at the man behind the ever-worried mask. 

Fjord couldn’t help but sneak a peek out of the corner of his eye at Caleb, watching the way his face seemed to light up every time one of the girls asked a question. He seemed so happy to be able to offer them information, to be able to help in this small way. Yasha smiled, pointing to a certain cluster of stars

“We used those to navigate, I don’t think the tribe ever had a name for them though”

Caleb nodded, his hair loosening as he did so. Something in the back of Fjords mind ached to reach out and fix it.

“That makes sense, the brightest one there” his hand shifted slightly “it is always north” 

“That’s so cool” Nott whispered, awed. 

They lay out there for hours, watching the stars and whispering. When the girls finally stood, calling quiet goodnights as they headed back inside. Fjord turned his head, smiling when he realized Caleb was already looking at him. 

“I admit you have me convinced that you know at least something about everything Widogast” 

He knew his tone was probably a little too fond, but the dusting of pink across the  wizard's cheeks was worth it. 

“Ah well... I have always loved to learn” he paused, that rare playful smile on his face “but I would bet you already knew everything I talked about today, did you not captain?” 

Fjord shrugged, unabashed “caught me, I was just sitting in for the joy of hearing you talk” 

There was a beat where they just stared at each other, before Caleb cleared his throat and stood, stretching.

“I-I have much more research to get done before I can give Nott her body back, so I’ll head to sleep now” he turned and walked a few steps, before looking over his shoulder and saying in a voice barely above a whisper “goodnight... Captain Fjord”

“Goodnight Caleb” he whispered to the retreating man.

Fjord sighed, standing up and taking in the little circle their flattened grass beds made. Something in his chest ached, and he really did not want to think about it. 

Instead, he walked back to his room and tried to sleep. 

\----

It had been two months since Caleb joined the  Mighty Nine. 

Two months of fighting monsters and travelling.

Two months of jokes, and laughter... of getting to know these strange people. 

Two months of being able to read whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted (and oh how he loved the books he had found, tales of  the Fae and stories of Adventurers who came before them...)

Caleb had come to what he felt was a very important conclusion. The Mighty Nine were completely insane, utterly ridiculous, and unfathomably, wondrously  good . That was why he fought so hard during their battles against all sorts of monsters, and why he was working during their downtime to give Nott back her body.

It was why he had been so  so grateful when Jester had shown up with the pile of new blindfolds after their spider fight. They were so good, so kind... everything he had never known. 

He didn’t deserve it, their kindness. So, he was doing everything he could to make up for that. They had taken in a monster, and he wanted to be sure they wouldn’t regret it. 

Nott’s son Luc was back at the keep, he was a bright boy... full of energy and enthusiasm. It was refreshing to see, Caleb had never met a child like that before. So, when he left the kitchen one afternoon to find the halfling family in the front hall he had smiled. That is, until he realized that the usually smiling boy looked... hurt? Or sad maybe? He stopped, not wanting to interrupt as he heard Nott speak. 

“I know sweetheart, but momma and daddy have to work with some dangerous chemicals today, so you really can’t be in the lab with us”

The little boy pouted, brow  furrowed, and arms crossed at his mother 

“But momma! I don’t  wanna go sit in the greenhouse with Caduceus!”

Caleb watched the parents look at each other uncertainly, tantrums were not unheard of, especially not at Luc’s age... but their family weas still so recently back together, they hated to upset the boy. Caleb felt himself moving forward before his brain could catch up. The family looked up at him, Nott offering him a small smile.

Caleb crouched down and smiled at the little boy, who was looking at him with growing  curiosity . 

“Mister Luc” he greeted the boy, holding out one of the pastries he had taken from the kitchen. The boy brightened up and smiled at him now 

“Hello Caleb! Thanks!” 

“You seemed  sad; Jester has shown me that sometimes pastries help with that  ja ?”

The boy turned to his parents again and pouted “momma and dad won’t let me come to the lab today, but I’m  bored of the greenhouse!” 

Caleb hummed, nodding “well... your  _ Mutter und Vater _ have a very important job they must do, but I have a suggestion” They all looked at him curiously now and he mustered up a smile “I have a wonderful book, full of stories of adventure and magic, but reading it by myself would not be nearly as...fun, as reading with someone else” 

He stood and held out his hands to the boy “do you think you could help me out?”

Luc paused, thinking it over before he gave Caleb a very serious look

“Are there pirates?”

Caleb thought about it for a moment before nodding. Luc’s responding smile was nearly blinding, and Caleb felt that familiar warmth of a job well done flicker in his chest. The little boy stepped forward and allowed Caleb to lift him up onto his shoulders, before the wizard looked back at his parents with an encouraging smile.

“We will stay in the inner courtyard  _ ja _ ?  Whenever you are done” 

Nott mouthed a silent thank you while  Yeza reminded Luc to be on his best  behaviour . 

Luc chattered away on his shoulders while Caleb made their way to the courtyard, sending a quick message to Caduceus to let him know where his usual charge was. Caduceus’s response was kind, and he even sounded a little  proud  of Caleb... though Caleb wasn’t sure why. 

Admittedly, he reasoned with himself, two months ago he would never have considered offering to take Luc off his  parents' hands. It wasn’t that he didn’t like children, he had just never really... understood them. The children at the academy had been like him, strictly monitored and quiet... studious. Controlled. But when they saw the children in the villages when they worked, the little ones seemed utterly wild to Caleb. They ran through the streets and shouted. He had reacted badly during one mission, it had taken them to a village where the Mighty Nine had been before, and a crowd of small children had encircled their cart. The screams and chatter and just general  noise had been too much, and Caleb had found himself pressed into the wall of the cart, hiding from them. 

Fjord had been understanding of course and had simply tugged the back covers down on the cart until the crowd dispersed. Fjord was always understanding. 

Caleb tried to ignore the warmth in his chest as he thought of the smile the other man had given him the night before, as they lay in the grass in this very yard. 

_ “ _ _ I was just sitting in for the joy of hearing you talk” _

Caleb sighed happily, leaned back against the tree he had selected for their reading spot with Luc across from him. He had made it through the first story, an ancient tale of a great hero who faced twelve trials in his attempt to regain his godhood. Luc was enraptured and begged for another story immediately after. Caleb found himself getting invested as he searched through the book, finding one about a famous pirate who terrorized the coast for years before suddenly disappearing. 

He was halfway through the story, with the book propped open in his lap, gesticulating in a way that would have made Beau proud, when three shadows fell over him. He looked up, arms spread in a dramatic gesture, Luc doing the same when he stopped reading. The little boy smiled brightly as Caleb felt his cheeks burn. Standing over them were Mollymauk, Beau and Fjord.  Mollymauk and Beau had looks of amusement on their faces, and Fjord’s eyebrow was raised.

“Taking up babysitting Mister Caleb?”  Mollymauk smirked, sitting down next to Luc “or are you planning to leave magic behind and become a travelling bard? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you  emote so much before” 

Beau and Fjord flopped down behind Luc as well, Beau smacking  Mollymauk in the back of the head as she did. 

“Don’t be a jerk Molls, stories are only good if you get into them” 

Fjord hummed in agreement before turning to Caleb “that was the story of the first Plank  King, right? Don’t let us  interrupt ” 

“D’you know this story Fjord?” Luc asked, turning excitedly to look at the half-orc, who nodded in response

“Every sailor knows the stories about the Plank King” he winked “you should ask your mom one day, we’ve  met him” 

Caleb stared, shocked “I thought it was only a legend?” 

Fjord chuckled, and something tugged at Caleb’s chest “ naw , Plank King is real, but he’s not the same one in the legend anymore” He turned and smirked at Luc “trust me little buddy, you don’t  wanna meet this one... he doesn’t like us much” 

Luc whipped back around to Caleb “if momma and the Mi-mighty Nine have met him, why haven’t you?” 

“Ah” Caleb shrugged, smiling ruefully “I had not met them at that point” he leaned in conspiratorially “I have not even seen the ocean you know” 

Luc’s eyes went wide “what?! Even dad and I saw the ocean! We lived with Miss Marion for a little while, I got to swim in it!” 

“I am sure that was wonderful, you are very lucky to have travelled so far” Caleb looked up at the others, heart racing “you... you can stay for the rest of the story, if you’d like” 

The idea of them doing so was terrifying, but it felt wrong not to ask at this point... So, he took a deep breath and tried to steady his heartbeat. 

_ Oh yes, continue to make a fool of yourself then. You get more pathetic the longer you remain with them.  _

He winced at the voice, but the others agreed to stay... so he cleared his throat and began to read again. To his surprise, it didn’t take long for him to get back “into it” (as Beau put it). They made it through several more stories before  Yeza and Nott came outside to collect Luc for an early dinner. Luc thanked Caleb (at his  father's reminder) and made him promise to read more stories soon. 

Caleb found that to be a much easier promise to make than he would have thought. 

Once they had gone inside, Beau stood and stretched.

“Well, Fjord and I were going to spar for a bit if you  wanna come along and like... hang out” 

“I’m just going to heckle, it’s oodles of fun”  Mollymauk added, as he and Fjord stood as well. 

“Ah well...” Caleb was about to politely decline, but the slowly sinking sun highlighted the panes of Fjords face in a way that made him pause “ _ ja _ -yes, sure... that sounds fun?” 

He closed the large book, shuffling it around so he could stand only to see Beaus tanned hand thrust out in front of him. He smiled sheepishly and took it, trying not to stumble when she all but pulled him off his feet. She held her hands up apologetically, mumbling about how light he was while Molly snickered next to her.

They made their way back to the training ground, Caleb had only ever used the secondary one, passing through this more used one on the way. There were a few guards milling about, some exercising or sparring, but others just talking around the edges of the yard. Molly reached out and tugged Caleb over to a bench in the far corner where they would have a good view of Beau and Fjord. Caleb watched curiously as Beau wrapped her hands and tossed her long cloak (which was sleeveless, like everything else she owned seemed to be) off to the side. Fjord tugged off his shirt, tossing it over with Beaus cloak and Caleb’s mouth went dry. 

He had known the captain was handsome, he had eyes after all. But standing in early evening light, wrapping his hands the way Beau had, Caleb couldn’t help but appreciate it all over again. The warm summer glow glanced off his high cheekbones, highlighting the strong jaw and wide shoulders. Caleb’s eyes followed the line of his shoulders to strong arms, and a well-muscled chest covered in old scars. Fjord had no chest hair, but Caleb felt his cheeks warm as he noticed the fine line of dark hair that started just below his belly button and led into the high waist of his loose pants. 

He jumped when he heard a loud wolf whistle from next to him before Molly whooped and called out for Fjord to keep going. The captain turned and flipped the Tiefling off, catching Caleb’s eye and blushing a darker green. 

The sparring was actually very interesting to watch, Caleb had never really seen Fjord fight barehanded before. No magic or weapons allowed. Beau was less strange but still incredibly impressive, even without her  bo staff she was a force to be reckoned with. Molly of course spent the whole-time shouting insults and double entendre at the fighters. Some of the bolder guards joined in, laughing when Beau would flip them off, or when they could distract Fjord enough to make him slip up. Caleb for the most part just tried not to openly stare at Fjord. 

At one point, Beau got a good punch on him, splitting his lip before jumping back into a ready position. Caleb swallowed as Fjord ran a fist across his lip, smearing the blood and sweat and smirking at Beau before diving back into the  fight . 

“Lucky us, Fjord’s in a mood to show off” Molly muttered to him, smirking 

Caleb just blushed, realizing that his staring had been more obvious then he hoped. 

“It’s okay mister wizard, we’re lucky enough to have a hot captain, we might as well enjoy it” Molly winked at him “Fjord wouldn’t mind anyway” 

Caleb felt his jaw drop as he stared at the Tiefling

“Th-that’s... he’s our  superior”  He stuttered out “I-it’s disrespectful” 

The smile faded from the other  man's face and he raised a perfect eyebrow in confusion.

“He’s not our superior, we don’t  have superiors... we’re more like a really poorly run democracy” 

“What?”

“I mean” Molly continued “he’s good at the strategy shit right, so he heads a bunch of that. And we  had to give someone’s name when we were meeting with the royal types... but we’re just teasing when we call him captain and shit like that” 

His confusion must have shown on his face, because  Mollymauk reached out and laid a gentle hand on his knee

“Caleb, we don’t have a boss,  you don’t have a boss here. If you don’t want to do something, you can literally just tell him to fuck off” 

Caleb’s mind was whirling. No leader, no hierarchy... no superiors? He had become accustomed to the rest of the Nine disobeying the captain but had assumed it was because of how long they had travelled together. That the extra bond they all seemed to share was what allowed them to be so flippant. The hand on his knee squeezed gently.

“Take your time with it, but you’re one of us Caleb. Once we take someone in, they’re Mighty Nine forever and have just as much right to cuss us out as anybody” 

He looked up at Molly and smiled, it was small and confused, but it was a smile. If what the Tiefling was saying was true, then he owed them even more than he had thought. They were too good for him by a long shot, opening their home to a killer like him. They offered him friendship... and even if he didn’t understand or deserve it, he would pay them back for it. 

\----

Molly watched as the wizard turned back towards the sparring match, blue eyes tracking Beau and Fjords movements... lingering on Fjord just a bit longer than necessary. His expression was one of barely concealed confusion and determination.

Molly had thought that after two months, time spent fighting and eating and drinking and playing together Caleb would have understood that they were equals here. Somehow that had slipped the gingers notice... damn genius was a complete moron. 

And Fjord, the absolute walking disaster. 

Was this why the idiot captain hadn’t acted on his  _ insanely _ obvious crush on the human? Had he known about all this “superior” nonsense?

Molly barely held back a sigh as he watched Fjord get distracted looking over at Caleb again and nearly getting a heel to the face for it. He was going to have to talk to the others, Fjord and Beau first but Nott and definitely Yasha too. 

Soon enough the combatants were tired and called it a night, Molly stood by Beau while Caleb bid them a stuttering goodnight and scarpered inside. Beau crossed her arms and looked Molly up and down. 

“Did you flirt with him again and scare him off?” 

Fjord turned from where he had been watching Caleb disappear inside and raised  an eyebrow at him. Molly rolled his eyes at them, typical.

“ No , I was just mentioned that staring at tall, green and grumpy here was allowed and even encouraged” he huffed, inspecting his nails he added in an undertone “He was doing an awful job of hiding it anyway”

Fjord started sputtering at that, but Molly cut him off

“Of course, I wasn’t aware that he  apparently still hasn’t come to terms with the whole ‘Fjord’s not the boss of you’ thing  soo ....” he trailed off,  pursing his lips in annoyance. No one told him anything around here. 

Beau was smirking when she looked at Fjord, obviously enjoying the dark green that had spread across his cheeks. 

“ Yo , Cap... you got a crush on the squishy wizard?” 

“I-I don’t... It wouldn’t matter either way!” Fjord deflected (“typical” Molly thought) “you heard Molly, he still thinks of me as his  _ superior _ ”  he grimaced at the term, disgust clear in his eyes “anything I may or may not feel about him would be completely inappropriate to  pursue ” 

There was a pause

“But like... you  wanna ” 

Fjord glared “It doesn't __ _ fucking _ _ matter _ Beau” 

Molly watched as Fjords eyes flicked back towards the archway where the wizard had  disappeared

“Well... okay” Beau didn’t sound convinced “I’m just saying if we  did get him to understand...”

Fjord just crossed his arms and continued to glare, and Beau held her hands up in surrender. 

Molly sighed, why was everyone in this group so damn stupid? He loved them so much. 

“How about we get a drink and call it a night hm?” he said, looking between them

After a moment they both sighed and nodded, the three of them heading inside to close out the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm one year closer to the Void today, so I'm going to live in my WidoFjord feelings as a treat! 
> 
> I did mention that this is absolutely NOT a slow burn right? Cause it's super duper not lmao


	7. Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb does some bonding and finds out that not all wine makes him sleepy  
> Fjord is a Smitten Disaster

Two weeks had passed since Molly had told him that he had no superior here, and Caleb was... content. They were on the road again, headed home from a small town called  Yrrosa where they had dealt with a  gnoll infestation. Caleb was sitting on the end of the cart again, joined this time by Jester and her ever present sketchbook. The roads were much better than they had been during their first mission months ago, and the discomfort that Caleb had felt around the group had lessened drastically. 

Mollymauk was still too tactile for him, but he had gotten used to the near constant innuendo now. He was also comfortable in the idea that no one was going to hurt him without a significant reason. 

It was nice. 

Most of the trip had gone smoothly, and Caleb couldn’t help but feel a little thrill of pride about it. He had battled without his blindfold successfully for the first time, and the  _ pride _ and joy on the faces of the Nine had warmed his chest. 

Especially the warm smile on Fjord’s face. 

_ Destroying all the training I put you through _

Even the voice in his head couldn’t get him down. They were just over a day away from home now, one more night in the dome and they’d be back at the keep. Fjord had been especially intent upon getting back quickly this time. It was odd, he usually preferred to spend more time on the way back. He seemed to enjoy being on the road, something Caleb was quickly beginning to understand. 

He looked up from his book, the feeling of eyes on him too distinct to ignore and found himself caught in the captains' amber gaze. He smiled, holding up a hand in a tentative greeting, Fjord returned it with a similar small smile before moving to ride next to Yasha. 

He still couldn’t believe they let him stay. He had worked hard to repay them, but deep down he knew he never would. Caleb was perfectly aware that he didn’t deserve the kindness given to him by the Nine. He was selfish at heart, something proven every time he accepted a hug from Nott or saw a new drawing of him in Jesters sketchbook. 

They made it home mid-morning the next day, that word still rang through his head every time he thought it.

Home . 

The academy was the closest thing he had ever had to a home, but it had never held the feelings that this keep did. It held none of the warmth that came to him whenever he saw the gates in the distance. He smiled, watching from where he sat on the steering bench with Caduceus, Nott in his lap as they got closer. Beau rode ahead, yelling for the guards on the gate to  open up so they could ride through into the main courtyard. Once they had pulled to a stop and everyone had unloaded, Yasha and Caduceus walked the horses back to the stables. Caleb looked over to where Fjord stood, he was talking to one of the guards about something. The man nodded and Fjord smiled wide at him, clapping the guard on the shoulder in apparent appreciation. 

“He  _ does _ look good with his hair all  windswept like that, doesn’t he?” 

Caleb jumped as  Mollymauk spoke just a bit too close to his ear and hooked an arm into his. He turned his head to glare at the Tiefling

“Mollymauk,” he scolded “just because he is not my boss does not mean-” 

“Ah so you admit it!”

He sighed, rolling his eyes “you are a menace, you know this?” 

Mollymauk hummed in agreement before he shouted out for Fjord, waving dramatically with one hand while his hold on Calebs arm tightened slightly. Fjord raised an eyebrow and walked over with a bemused smile on his face. Caleb watched the catlike pupils trace from where Molly was hooked to him and up to their faces, knowing that he must be blushing. 

“ Y’all okay over here?” 

“I was just telling our dear wizard here how  _ handsome _ you look with your hair all messy, I felt like an up close view would prove my point” he turned to Caleb now, cheeky smirk back on his face “I was right, wasn’t I darling?” 

Caleb sputtered, feeling his ears heat up to match his cheeks which only seemed to make  Mollymauks smile wider. 

Fjord rolled his eyes “oh fuck off Mols” he looked at Caleb and his expression softened. 

Caleb tried to hold his gaze the best he could

_ Pathetic, getting flustered over someone so much weaker than yourself, you are a Volstrucker _

The voice in his head was particularly annoyed today, apparently.

Mollymauk shrugged, let go of Caleb and wandered off towards the greenhouse, blowing a kiss before leaving them standing nearly alone in the courtyard. Caleb straightened his back and cleared his throat.

“Y-you ah... seemed pleased when you spoke to the guard” he paused eyes flicking away “good news?”

Fjord smiled “ mhmm , got a response to some correspondence I sent out a couple weeks ago”

Caleb couldn’t help but look back at him as curiosity pushed away his embarrassment. Why would Fjord need to use non-magical means of communication? He had both Caleb and Jester who were able to easily send magical messages. His confusion must have shown on his face, because Fjords smile only grew wider. 

“I have a surprise for everyone, couldn’t have you or Jes knowing about it ahead of  time, now could I?” he winked, and Calebs poor heart skipped a beat. 

“Y-yes, that makes sense” was all he managed to get out. 

“Just be sure you come down for dinner tonight okay?” 

“Of course, I will be there” 

Fjord reached out and patted his shoulder with a wide smile on his face again, nodded and walked away into the keep. Caleb stood in the courtyard alone for a few moments, allowing his heart to slow back to normal. He decided to head upstairs and read for a while, if there was nothing  else he needed to do that day. He would unpack in his room and then just take some time for himself. 

_ Selfish _

_ Lazy _

He  sighed and made for his room. He had only just sat down to read when  a light rapping on his bedroom door made him jump. He hadn’t been expecting anyone, since Fjord had said that there was nothing planned until dinner. He stood, still obedient to the core, and opened the door. Yasha stood there, taking up nearly the whole door with her size, a soft smile on her face.

“Ah, hello Caleb” she said in her low, soft voice “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” 

He shook his head “no Yasha, not at all” Caleb had realized weeks ago that he really did look forward to seeing her. She could snap him over her knee if she wanted, but she had a softness about her that he found very reassuring. She reminded him of Mr. Clay, in that way. 

She smiled again, nodding “I was wondering if you wanted to come for a walk with me? Jester mentioned you hadn’t seen the outdoor gardens yet...” she trailed off, before her eyes came back to his and she added “only if you’re not busy I mean.”

Caleb smiled back at her, nodding “that would be lovely” and she stepped back, allowing him space to follow her into the hall. 

They walked in a comfortable silence for a little while, nodding to the servants that they passed in the hall. As they reached the first floor, Yasha cleared her throat, causing Caleb to look up curiously.

“I grew up in the Xhorhasian wastes... which you know” she began slowly, Caleb nodded, he remembered her mentioning it “it is a....barren place. Dark, and cold, with very little beauty to it.” Caleb hummed his understanding, wondering where she was going with this. “When I went into the empire for the first time, and saw the fields full of wildflowers... the sun made everything seem to glow...” she paused again, looking wistful for a moment before she turned to him “and well, I know we see some of it on the road, but I was thinking that you might like the garden here” 

He felt his brow furrow, confused, he had seen quite  a number of beautiful places during their jobs. But before he could voice his confusion, they had stepped out into the afternoon sun. Caleb squinted for a moment, the bright light blinding him as the heat rolled over his skin. Yasha steered him forward as his eyes adjusted.... and he heard himself gasp, understanding why she wanted to show him this place immediately. 

As far as Caleb could tell, they were standing in one of Jesters beautiful paintings. All around him were wildflowers of all shapes and sizes, in  colours he hadn’t even known existed. The sunlight creating dappled patterns through the leaves of tall verdant trees. A large bright blue pond rippled beneath a tall weeping willow, water lilies and tall grasses swaying around it. The scent hit him next, warm and sweet on the summer breeze. The soft sound of bees buzzing somewhere while the butterflies floated between flowers. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever laid eyes on, and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t known it existed. He felt Yasha’s hand on his shoulder, a comforting weight. She didn’t say anything, just letting him adjust to the scene in front of him. 

After a few minutes, he had collected his wits enough to looked up at her, she was smiling happily as she watched the flowers sway in the breeze. Apparently feeling his eyes on her, she looked over, the smile not leaving her face. She bent down, plucking a sprig of tiny blue flowers. She moved slowly, giving him a chance to move if he wanted, and slid the flowers behind his ear, nodding her approval as she pulled away.

“The world is so much more beautiful than you know yet Caleb” her voice was warm, she patted his shoulder lightly “if you let us, we would all love to help you see more of it” 

\----

Caleb and Yasha spent the better part of the afternoon outside, Caleb having rolled both sleeves up to the elbow, leaving only his thin fingerless gloves to cover the skin there, and his pants up to the knee to help with the heat. About an hour in, Jester and Nott had wandered out and joined them, bringing some fruit and a lightly fizzing wine out with them. Jester had insisted on teaching them all how to make flower crowns, and then insisted they all wear them. Caleb hadn’t minded one bit. He was sure they made quite the picture, the larger barbarian with a wreath of pink and blue flowers around her head, more small flowers tied into her braids. Jester had a crown of bright pinks and purples, wild and bright, wrapped around her horns. Nott’s own crown was more delicate, pale yellow buttercups softening her with their creamy colour. For Caleb, Jester had made a wide crown of blue flowers (“to go with the forget-me-nots behind your ear!” she had said excitedly). Between the warm sun, the soft breeze and the dreamlike beauty of the garden, he had been having the best afternoon of his life. He found himself smiling more easily, laughing with Yasha at Jester and Nott’s shenanigans, enjoying the tangy fruit mixed with the sweet wine. By the time Nila came out to get them for supper, he was feeling blessedly content, and just the slightest bit tipsy. 

They followed the sweet firbolg woman inside, Jester and Nott chatting away while Caleb and Yasha laughed along. Caleb had the nearly empty wine bottle while Jester carried the empty basket that they had brought the fruit out in. They got to the dining hall and the guards opened the doors automatically. Caleb was laughing as they entered, Jester having just finished a story about some fine gentleman she had pulled a prank on back home. 

“It looks like you lot had a good afternoon” came a lilting voice from the table

Caleb looked up, feeling his cheeks reddening as he took in the image before him. Sitting on one side of the table were Beau, Caduceus, and Molly. Molly had his elbows on the table, his chin rested in his palm as his tail swished behind him, a mischievous grin on his face. Caleb felt the smile drop from his face, his cheeks still burning as his eyes found Fjord sitting at the head of the table. His expression was a mix of shock and something Caleb couldn’t name. He felt his gut twist horribly as the heat drained from his face, realizing with a jolt how he must look. 

_ Frivolous,  _

**_ USELESS,  _ **

_ A waste of time _

The all too familiar voice in his mind seemed to sneer, his arms began to itch as he dropped his gaze, head low. 

Then Jesters warm voice broke through his mental tirade.

This was the Mighty Nine, not the academy... not Master Ikithon. They would never begrudge him a little frivolity.

He took a breath.

“Oh my GOSH you guys it was  _ SO _ much fun! We had a picnic with some of the yummy fruits from Caduceus’s orchard, and the others had that fizzy wine that Mama sent from Nicodranas! I totally taught Nott and Yasha and Cay-leb how to make flower crowns too!” She clapped her hands together and skipped over to the seat across from Beau “it was  _ totally _ awesome”

Caleb felt the heat return to his face as Yasha took his hand and led him to the table, sitting herself across from Molly and gently pulling Caleb into the seat next to her. Nott took the seat on the other side of Jester, smiling brightly. 

“We should have more of that wine with dinner!” Nott called out, looking at Fjord “even Caleb liked it and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him drink more than a few sips before” her eyes moved to Caleb, still smiling “right Caleb?”

He jumped slightly and nodded automatically 

“Ah- _ ja,  _ yes, it was very um...” he had to pause, trying to find the word in common “refreshing” he settled on. He chanced a glance at Fjord, startled to see that the Captain was looking back at him. Fjord nodded, turned to smile at Nott and said calmly

“Well, if y’all like it so much, we’ll have it” he nodded to Nila, who smiled and walked towards the kitchen “and...” he turned to look at Jester “we’ll have to make sure we pick up some more while we’re in Nicodranas next week”

Jester  _ shrieked.  _

\----

Fjord scruntched his face up and covered his ears briefly as Jester shrieked with joy

“WE’RE GOING TO NICODRANAS?? ARE YOU AC-TU-ALLY SERIOUS FJORD??” 

Fjord laughed and waved a hand placatingly at her

“Calm down, calm down Jessie, of course I’m serious. We need to have a bit of work done around here, and I need to meet with our trade captain, so I arranged a visit. Your mother already knows.” 

She was practically bouncing in her seat, beaming at him. 

“We’ll be there for at least the week, possibly longer if need be, so make sure you pack accordingly” 

Nila arrived then with an ice bucket and two bottles of the lightly fizzing wine Nott had asked for, the tall woman went around the table, pouring everyone except for Jester and Caduceus a glass. It didn’t escape his notice that Caleb immediately lifted his glass and took a sip... neither did the light flush that spread across his cheeks. Dinner arrived soon after, a fresh salad made from greens and vegetables grown in Caduceus's garden, then a light fish dish with an almost sweet sauce. Jester had pulled the conversation back to Nicodranas, and was regaling Caleb with descriptions of how beautiful it was. 

“Oh  Caaaleb , the ocean is  _ amazing _ , you’ve never seen it right?” he shook his head, finishing his glass only for Nott to quickly refill it for him “oh you will  _ love  _ it, I know it!” She paused, looking briefly concerned “we’re going to have to go and pick you up some summer clothes this week. The stuff Molly got you for here is too heavy for the coast, you’ll get heat stroke!”

He looked confused for a moment before nodding “if you think it best Jester, you know the weather there far better than I could” she brightened immediately and leaned forward to look at Fjord. 

“Do we have anything important this week?”

“Nothing other than getting packed to go, Beau and I will have to prep the guards, but you don’t need to help with that.” 

“ _ Perfect _ !” She looked from Caleb to Nott and over to Molly excitedly “shopping trip!!” 

Fjord shook his head, smiling fondly at her as she pulled Caleb into an excited conversation about different styles on the coast, before looking over at Molly...he was smirking, that was never good.

“Uh... somethin’ the matter there Molls?” 

The Tieflings smirk widened “oh nothing Captain, just thinking about how  _ convenient _ it is that we have business in Nicodranas right after learning that our dear new friend has never seen the sea.”

Before Fjord could say anything in response, he heard the soft cadence of Caleb's voice responding to something Jester had said. The man was well into his third glass of wine now, not counting whatever he had had during their impromptu picnic.

“Is it really beautiful Jester?” Fjord looked over at the same time as Molly, and something in Fjords chest seemed to constrict. Caleb’s cheeks were dusted pink, he was turning his wineglass back and forth slowly, looking down into the pale contents. His hair had come partially out of his usual low ponytail and hung around his face loosely, held in place only by the flower crown still on his head. The sunset warm light making his hair almost seem to glow as he looked up from below pale lashes. “I have only ever seen it in your paintings...” he trailed off, lifting his head now to look at her properly, blue eyes hopeful.

“Well... shit” came Molly’s soft voice next to him as Jester went into a long winded and excited answer on his other side. Fjord looked over, curiously to find Molly’s brow furrowed and a small frown tugging at his lips

“hm?” 

Molly looked over, his expression not shifting “how the hell can I tease him now? Poor thing looks like a stiff breeze would break his heart” Fjord hummed noncommittally; fairly certain Molly would still find a way to tease the mage. In his own mind however, he couldn’t help but agree. 

The rest of dinner and then desert (honey drizzled fruit and the cinnamon pastries Jester loved) went by quickly. Fjord worked very hard not to stare at Caleb, but it was difficult. He couldn’t stop thinking of the way the man had looked when he, Jester, Nott, and Yasha had all come in. Cheeks flushed with joy and a laugh still on his face, walking close to the others, his shoulders relaxed. The smell of wine and sunlight and wildflowers breezing in with them. Fjord was certain that he had never seen a smile like that on Caleb’s face in the nearly 3 months he had been here. He also couldn’t help but remember how quickly the smile had dropped off Caleb's face when he had caught Fjord’s eye. 

Fjord knew that Caleb had taken to Jester and Yasha the quickest, Jester made sense because everyone took to Jester. It was a superpower; she could make anyone love her. Yasha he had been surprised by initially, people were usually put-off by her stature and the odd look of her too-pale skin, mismatched eyes, and dark smudged makeup. It wasn’t until he had seen the two of them in the library one day, Yasha sitting in a window seat with one of the barn cats in her lap and a book of poetry open in one hand. Caleb had been sitting on the other end of the window seat, their calves leaned against each other, reading some ancient looking tome. Yasha was calm, peaceful even, once he saw it, he couldn’t believe he had ever been surprised. 

Nott was a mother, she saw a child in need of love, she had taken to brushing out his hair and fussing over his eating habits (which were awful, admittedly). Caleb had seemed uncomfortable at first, but now acquiesced to it, allowing the goblin woman to fuss and doing his best to make her smile. Caduceus made sense too, he had a calming way about him, and he always seemed to know what people needed. 

Beau he had finally relaxed a bit around, seeming to have accepted that she wouldn’t hurt him, but her brash nature still made him jumpy sometimes. Molly was far too outgoing, but Caleb seemed to be getting comfortable with his flirting and touching. Molly, to his credit, had cut back on physical contact with Caleb, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from teasing the other man. 

He paused in his thoughts to wish everyone good evening, planning to head up to his study for a little while before bed. Everyone dispersed, Molly and Jester talking animatedly about the shopping trip, Nott and Caduceus heading to the garden to harvest some weird plant that Nott wanted to make into poison (“gotta watch that situation...” he thought warily). He watched as Yasha put a hand lightly on Caleb's shoulder at the door, saying something quiet to him. He smiled a small smile and nodded, saying something back that made her smile back affectionately. Yasha walked off in the direction of her room, Caleb turning to bow his head in Fjords direction. Fjord waved in response, waiting until he couldn’t hear the other man's footsteps before he got up. He grabbed the half-finished wine bottle and his glass and walked slowly to his study on the third floor.

He knew the way he was feeling about the wizard was a problem. Caleb might not view him as the leader of the Mighty Nein anymore, but the man still seemed to have trouble treating him like an equal. He sighed, knowing from Dairon’s reports that the indoctrination of the  Volstrucker was intense, bordering on torture in Fjords mind. Caleb having been with them most of his life obviously meant that his fear of authority would be hard to overcome. 

He sat at his desk, staring at the blueprints and repair plans he needed to have confirmed before they left for Nicodranas... but he just couldn’t focus.

“damned fizzy wine” he muttered to himself “goes right to your head...”

He stood up, deciding that some fresh air would be good, clear his head a bit. He walked down the hall, not really paying attention to the route, he could find his way around here blindfolded by now. He winced at the thought, Caleb's face floating to the front of his mind. There was one very large balcony right off the main staircase that he liked, it looked right out over the gardens and into the farmland beyond. You could always see the stars from there too, being up on the third floor. 

When he reached the glass double doors, he was surprised to see that someone else was already standing out on the balcony, their silhouette blurred by the cut glass patterns. He opened the door, clearing his throat so as not to startle the other person. At the sound, the man turned, and Fjord felt his breath catch. 

If Caleb under the sunset had looked angelic, Caleb under a full moon looked positively Fae. The blue evening light played off the angles of his face, highlighting high cheekbones and making his pale skin seem to glow. His eyes were wide in surprise, little flecks of reflected light making them look like magic. His hair looked darker in this light, bits of copper dancing in the moonlight, while the flowers still in his hair looked almost white. His lips were parted slightly as he blinked his surprise away. 

Fjord raised a hand placatingly “oh uh, sorry, I uh... I didn’t mean to startle you” 

Caleb blinked again before shaking his head and saying softly 

“oh,  _ nein _ , not at all Captain, I was just lost in thought” he raised a hand to indicate the scene behind him “the view here is... quite something”

Fjord nodded, trying to ignore how the man's accent played with the word “captain”, and approaching slowly to stand next to Caleb at the railing before folding his arms on top of it and leaning down. 

“It really is isn’t it?” 

“I really can’t believe I had no idea it was here”

Fjord chuckled “well, it’s mostly a mud pit through winter and most of spring, so we don’t tend to go out there until the summer”

Caleb made a small noise of understanding. 

There was silence for a moment, the two of them just standing elbow-to-elbow watching the moon reflected off the water of the pond, until Caleb spoke again, voice soft

“There are so many things I have never seen here... so much beauty I did not know existed outside of paintings and stories”

Fjord watched him out the corner of his eye, Caleb shook his head again, as if to clear it, still looking out over the garden. He was silent for a moment before he turned to Fjord and smiled, actually  _ smiled _ at him

“I am very excited to see what else I have been missing.” 

Fjord could only nod, smiling back. 

“Excited to show you” 

\----

Eventually, Caleb stood up straight and stretched, bidding him goodnight with a sleepy smile. Fjord waited until the balcony door clicked closed and the sighed. A real smile. It had taken him nearly three months, but he had gotten a real smile from the wizard. 

And Caleb had spent the whole afternoon out with Yasha, Nott and Jester. He had come in laughing, with flowers in his hair. Fjord very suddenly wished he hadn’t been dealing with paperwork all afternoon, had instead been out in the garden with them. He needed to take more time off... maybe in  Nicodranas , he’d make a vacation of it. 

At least once he finished talking to  Orly anyway.

Fjord sighed again, scrubbing at his face with his hands before running them roughly through his hair. He couldn’t get the smile out of his head. It was just a  _ smile _ for fucks sake. 

A smile like dawn breaking over the horizon, a smile that made him feel like someone had just punched him in the chest. A smile like seeing the sun for the first time after a long, dark night. 

Just a smile. 

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay again y'all.   
> If you read my Widomauk fic you'll have seen that I'm on a little bit of a hiatus due to some real life stuff. I forgot to post an update here about it!! I had this chapter finished already so I thought I'd post it before disappearing for a bit.
> 
> Sorry about all that! I've been slowly getting my writing mojo back (by working on some shorter pieces) and I hope to be posting regularily again soon!


	8. Shopping and Revelations

Caleb woke the next morning to the rapid-fire knocking he had learned to associate with Jester. He yawned, combing his hair back into a ponytail with his fingers as he walked to the door.

“Goooooood morning Caleb!” Jester crowed happily, smiling brightly at him.

“Jester... good morning?” he responded, brow furrowed as his half-asleep mind tried to focus.

“I know it’s early...”

“6:48”

“Yeah, early! But Molly and I thought it would be fun to get breakfast in town before we shop!”

She paused, so he nodded, not sure what else to do.

“Okay so get dressed and meet us downstairs as soon as you’re done!”

He nodded again and she skipped off down the hall. He watched her go for a moment (“these people ended a war....” he thought fondly, shaking his head) before shutting the door and heading to his dresser. 

He was downstairs in the main hall within 10 minutes, dressed in the grey breeches and a black tunic that Molly and Yasha had brought back for him all those weeks ago, and his ever-present fingerless gloves. Jester, Molly, and Nott were standing by the door. Jester and Nott were both dressed in light dresses, Nott’s was the yellow she seemed to prefer and buttoned from the hem to the neckline, Jesters was covered in frills and all different shades of pink and purple. Caleb thought it made her look like one of the flowers from the garden, and he smiled at the thought. Molly, as usual, was the brightest in the group; his leggings had one pink checkered leg and one blue striped, his tunic was yellow and open to his waist and he had his brightly embroidered coat over it all. 

“Cay-leb!” Jester called as she caught sight of him, waving happily.

He waved back and hurried down the remaining steps. He wasn’t sure about this whole “shopping day” thing... but he did like spending time with Jester and Nott. He was even beginning to enjoy his time with Molly, finding a strange bit of joy in how surprised the Tiefling always looked when he talked back. The ride into town was uneventful, the city was substantially quieter this early in the morning. It occurred to him that maybe breakfast hadn’t been the only reason they arrived early...

More kindness from the Nine that he could never repay. He sighed.

Jester, unsurprisingly, took them to a bakery she loved, exclaiming about the “totally delicious” pastries they carried. By the time they had finished their tea and pastries, the Pentamarket had woken up fully and the streets were busy with morning shoppers. Caleb took a deep breath and made himself focus on Jester as she talked about the shop she wanted to go to. As they walked, Nott took his hand, smiling encouragingly up at him when he looked down. He felt affection bloom in his chest and he smiled back, giving the small hand a grateful squeeze. 

They arrived at the shop, the outside was neat and the display windows clean. The clothes on mannequins looked a lot more like what Jester would wear than anything he could see on himself. A lot of bright colours and bold looking cuts... but he would wait and see... and ignore the nervous buzz in his head. 

A half-elf woman greeted them when they entered, calling out to Jester over the soft sound of a bell above the door.

“Jester! Hello darling how are you?”

The women hugged Jester, beaming at her

“Oh, Aly it’s been too long! We’ve been _so_ busy lately doing all sorts of cool jobs and stuff! Have I told you about Caleb? I can’t remember...” she paused briefly before going on “oh well! This is Caleb” she pulled him forward with her surprising strength. 

The woman smiled at him, holding out a hand “Alycerys, please call me Aly, it’s a pleasure to meet you”

Caleb took her hand and shook “Ah, yes, pleased to meet you”

“We’re going to Nicodranas at the end of the week!” Jester trilled happily “and Caleb here doesn’t have anything that’ll be cool enough!”

Aly nodded, eyes going sharp as she scrutinized him, he felt his cheeks heat as she walked a slow circle around him before stopping in front of him again.

“Okay, I have ideas”

The next two hours were spent going through fabric samples and having his measurements taken. At one point, Mollymauk pulled a swath of sheer violet fabric from the table and swayed over to drape it over Caleb’s chest.

“Darling this is _just_ your colour”

Caleb smirked at the Tiefling “I think it’s a lot closer to _your_ colour Mister Mollymauk”

Molly spun him around to face the floor-length mirror before draping his arms over Caleb's shoulders along with the fabric

“Yes, and it suits you so very well”

“Menace” Caleb flicked the lavender cheek, making the other man laugh.

“Fine fine” he spun away, setting the fabric on the table and walking back “how does _this_ one feel?”

He held out a swath of forest green linen, it was soft to the touch and felt like exactly the kind of fabric one would want in the tropical heat.

“Ohhhh Caleb, that’s _such_ a nice colour on you!” Jester cooed as she walked back in with Aly, the fabric they had already agreed on in her arms. 

He hesitated a moment “well, it is nice...”

“And you only have _one_ coloured shirt right now! I know you look like _super_ good in black and grey and stuff but wouldn’t it be nice to have a little more colour?”

_Pathetic, what a frivolous waste of money._

Caleb winced at the voice, then caught Jesters eye in the mirror and smiled.

“ _Ja_ , that sounds perfect”

By the time they left, he had paid for eight (8) shirts in various shades of grey and tan, Jester having vetoed any black (“the _heat_ Caleb!”) and his single green shirt. Aly had agreed to keep the shirts simple but had refused to make anything as high collared as he was accustomed to, citing the heat of the coast to him again. He would also be getting four (4) pairs of linen pants in the same grey, brown and tan palette. Molly had ordered a shirt made of the sheer fabric; because of _course_ he did. Aly would send the clothes to the keep in two days' time, which would leave him plenty of time to pack before they left. 

\----

The rest of the week went by swiftly, Caleb puttered around the keep with the others, unsure exactly what he could do to help with the preparations but wanting to be useful. He worked in the library still, sitting with Nott and pouring over old tomes in an attempt to make sense of Halas’ work. They made strides on the spell to turn her back, but something was eluding him. 

He watched from the sidelines as Fjord strode through the keep, flanked by various workers and guards (and sometimes Beau). He wasn’t sure what the captain was up to, but it seemed important, so he kept his distance... and tried to ignore the heat that flooded his face any time the other man saw him and smiled in his direction. 

His clothing arrived the day before they were set to leave, and he immediately folded them into his pack along with his extra components and notebooks. He had everything laid out by the door, the only thing he would have to pack in the morning was his toothbrush. He sighed, staring out the window at the inner courtyard, Fjord and Beau were talking on the path and the afternoon sun made the captains eyes seem to glow. He was nervous about the trip; he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why though. He thought perhaps it was just the idea of leaving the Empire for the first time. Or maybe the fact that this would be their longest journey since he had joined. 

He pulled his map of the Empire out of its spot on the shelf above his desk, unfolding it on the floor and kneeling next to it. Two days ride to Afield, one more to Trostenwald... then four to the Wuyun Gate, and one more to Nicodranas. An eight-day journey all together, seven nights camped out (well, he supposed it would be five nights as they would probably stay in Alfield and Trostenwald). He sighed, folded the map back up and set it on the shelf. 

He spent the remainder of the day out on the secondary training grounds, practicing spells he already knew but which would come in handy should they run into trouble. Mollymauk and Jester came out and watched for a while, Jester amusing herself by trying to copy his movements, which turned into her dancing around the field. He only went in when Nott came out to drag him to dinner. 

The meal itself was a noisy affair (as usual) with everyone excited about their trip. Fjord seemed eager to get back out on the road, something Caleb could empathize with. 

“Oh Caleb I can’t wait until you meet Momma, she’s _so_ wonderful, and beautiful and she can sing _so_ well!” Jester gushed over dessert. 

“I am sure she must be truly something, to have you for a daughter” he half teased, smirking at her. She giggled and stuck out her tongue. 

Finally, the day ended, everyone wandered off to their respective bedrooms, calling goodnights down the hall as they went.

Caleb pulled on his sleep pants, opting to skip the sleep shirt for the night... it really was getting warm now. He couldn’t imagine the kind of heat they would find on the coast, but if the fabrics Jester had suggested meant anything he would need to get used to sleeping in less. He tossed and turned for a long while before finally drifting off to sleep.

_The smell of smoke filled his nose, mixed with the awful indescribable stench of burning flesh. Everything around him was dark and the screaming filled his ears. The burning heat of the fires, the whoosh of flame in his ears, the pounding of his own heart._

_Nothing could block the sound of the screaming. The pained, horror-filled screaming._

_They would stop soon, they had to stop soon, the fires would stop them from screaming._

_They weren’t stopping. They were begging, he hated the begging. He could feel the tears running down his face, catching on his blindfold before streaking through the inevitable grime on his face._

_The screaming._

He was screaming. 

He sat bolt upright, sweat soaking his back and tears running down his face. His throat was raw, his heart was pounding. He couldn’t _breathe_.

No.

He was okay. He forced himself to look around the room, it was exactly as he left it. No fire, no burning bodies, no screaming now that he had stopped. 

He took a breath.

He couldn’t have been asleep more than an hour, judging by the moon outside. He would never fall back to sleep like this... he sighed, stepping into the bathroom and using a damp towel to cool himself off. He wiped his face and neck, sighing at the relief of clearing away the tears and sweat. 

He pulled on his sleep shirt and a pair of soft shoes that Jester had given him. He would walk for a bit, get some fresh air... maybe then he would be able to sleep again. 

\----

Fjord couldn’t wait to get on the road again, he had been antsy all day and all through dinner as well. Six nights camping, two at inns, and then he would be on the coast again. He hadn’t been back in ages, he was excited to see the ocean again. They would get to see Orly and the crew too... maybe he could even find a sailboat and take a little day trip out into the water. He knew they wouldn't have time to go out with the Ball Eater, as much as he would love to. 

He tossed and turned, running over plans, lists and routes in his mind. 

He sighed and sat up, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Maybe some fresh air would help. He had been thinking about the garden ever since Cal- the others had come in from their picnic. It would be gorgeous this time of year, even at night... maybe even especially at night with the lightening bugs and the moon on the pond. He stood, pulling on a pair of loose pants and a comfortable top before padding out of his room barefoot. He made his way downstairs, shutting the door behind himself quietly. He took a deep breath, enjoying the cooler night air and the smell of wildflowers that drifted on the breeze. He looked over the garden and felt himself start slightly in shock. 

Someone else was out there.

There was a figure sitting in the grass, surrounded by flowers, silhouetted against the silvery-blue light of the moon. Fjord should have been surprised by how quickly he recognized the figure, but who was he kidding? The moonlight caught on the copper of Calebs hair, loose around his shoulders where he was sitting by the pond. He stood for a moment, trying to decide if he should call out or just walk over, when Caleb turned to look at him, holding up a hand in surprised greeting. 

Fjord waved back, walking over slowly and sitting down next to the other man.

“Evenin'” he found himself speaking softly, as if afraid to disturb the peace of the evening.

Caleb looked over at him now, and Fjord was caught again by the way the moonlight reflected in his blue eyes.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be awake”

He shrugged “me either to be honest, just needed some fresh air”

Caleb nodded at that, smiling slightly. He looked tired... and the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Fjord tried not to frown, and instead laid back in the grass with a sigh. To his surprise, Caleb followed suit, long hair fanning out around his head. The stars were reflected back in his eyes and Fjord just stared. What would have brought the wizard out here this late, especially when they had a long day ahead. He was always so adamant about getting enough sleep, in case they ran into trouble.

They lay in the quiet for a while, listening to the sound of the pond water lapping against the rocks, the songs of the crickets a soft soundtrack. Caleb didn’t speak, but there was none of the nervous energy that used to radiate from him any time Fjord walked into the room. They were comfortable.

He watched the way Caleb seemed unable to keep his eyes open, but also couldn’t seem to let them close. It dawned on him then that he recognized those stubborn attempts to avoid sleep, no matter how tired he was.

“Nightmares?” he asked, keeping his voice soft.

Caleb hummed an affirmative sound in response before sighing

“I find sometimes... that I wish I had always fought without the blindfolds. Sleep is too similar to the darkness of battle and the dreams are...” he cut off, darkened cheeks obvious even in the low light “I’m sorry, don’t mind me, I am just- just tired”

“You don’t need to apologize” Fjord replied, a pain in his chest at the idea of this man not even being able to _sleep_ without fear “I know a little something about nightmares... I get it”

He thought of Uk’otoa and shuddered, thankful that those days were behind him. Caleb smiled faintly at him, eyes a deeper blue than usual in the moonlight.

“ _Danke_ Captain, you are... too kind to me”

Fjord rolled onto his side, smile turning to a smirk when the blush re-appeared on Caleb’s cheeks. 

“Still captain eh?” he teased, reaching out to tug gently on a loose lock of ginger hair

The wizard hummed again, clearly at least a little flustered by the action. The image was... downright sweet, Caleb laying out in the moonlight, surrounded by tall grass and wildflowers with the gentle sound of the pond nearby... Fjord fought back a sigh, and the desire to scoot closer and wrap an arm around the other man.

“Perhaps...” Caleb’s quiet voice broke through his reverie “perhaps, in private it wouldn’t be... inappropriate. At this point. Maybe”

He had plucked a daisy and was staring at it, clearly trying to avoid looking at Fjord. Gods, this man would be the death of him.

“Oh, just in private huh?” he kept his voice teasing, trying not to betray how much he liked the idea.

Caleb looked at him now, rolling onto his side as well with a mischievous smile on his face as he flicked the daisy at Fjord

“Yes, in _private_ , is that alright with you oh gracious captain?”

Fjord laughed, pulling the flower off his cheek and rolling his eyes

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is”

Caleb huffed out a laugh “is that alright with you _Fjord_?”

His face burned, but he knew Caleb wouldn’t be able to see it in the low lighting. He cleared his throat, trying to bring back the teasing tone

“Hmm... I guess so, for now”

They lay there in the quiet, and Fjord watched the mischief melt into what he could only call affection on Caleb’s face... and he knew his was doing the same. There was something about the soft silver moonlight that made this feel... safe, like the real world wasn’t just beyond the large wooden doors and stone walls. Eventually, Caleb sighed and stood, stretching into the starlit sky. Fjord followed, discretely keeping the daisy in his hand. 

“We should get some sleep _ja_?”

“Oh, yeah, long day ahead tomorrow”

Caleb worried his lower lip in the way that Fjord knew meant he was trying to figure out how to word something.

“I just... well, thank you for this”

Fjord raised an eyebrow “for what?”

“For- well, for sitting out here and listening to me babble. I... it helped, I think, so- so thank you”

The wizard looked away, the tips of his rounded ears darkening now. Fjord smiled, remembering the nights of his own nightmares. Waking alone and terrified, laying in the darkness with no one to turn to and trying desperately to get back to sleep... or to stay awake till morning. He stepped closer to Caleb, resting his free hand lightly on a slender shoulder.

“Anytime, I mean it. I wasn’t kidding when I said I understand about the nightmares”

Caleb looked up through pale lashes and smiled tentatively.

“Thank you... Fjord”

They walked back into the keep together, parting ways at Caleb’s bedroom door as Fjord continued down the hall to his own room. 

Fjord tried to get as much sleep as he could, they had a long few days ahead before they would get to sleep in real beds again. The image of Caleb’s face, his expression calm and so much more open than usual was burned into his eyelids. When he finally slept, his dreams were full of the sounds of crickets and water.

\----

The first two days of their journey went by without incident, they made excellent time and slept peacefully in the dome during the night. As they arrived in Alfield they were greeted by smiling townsfolk, Caleb tucked himself farther down into the cart, uncomfortable with the attention. Watching the other members of the Nine was almost surreal, the way they waved and smiled, responding to anyone who called out... they were truly loved. 

He knew the King appreciated their efforts in ending the war, and from what he understood The Bright Queen held them in similar esteem. Somehow though... he had never considered the regular people. Now that he realized it, he felt the differences between himself and the Nine even more strongly. They had ended an entire war, not for politics, not for power... but for the people. It was clear in the way they responded to the calls and waves. The way Yasha smiled so gently at a child who handed her a posy of flowers, the way none of towns people shrunk away from Notts goblin form. Even Beau, as standoffish as she often seemed, was smiling. 

They pulled up to an inn, an unremarkable place, but the group seemed to relax when they saw it, jumping down from the cart happily. Caleb left the cart last, moving quietly behind the rest, unsure of what he ought to be doing. A halfling man met Fjord outside the inn with a big smile on his face

“Mighty Nine!” he called happily

“Evenin’ Thadeus! Glad to see the place up and running” Fjord responded as the others called out greetings.

The man, Thadeus, nodded happily and held out a hand to shake Fjords.

“It’s good to see all of you, we’ve heard all about what you’ve been up to of course!” Fjord flushed slightly, but smiled proudly back at his crew. ‘If you need a place to stay the night you know you’re always welcome here!”

Fjord nodded “We would certainly appreciate that, we’re on our way to some business out on the coast, and it’s been a long few day's travel”

Thadeus nodded, leading them into the building, Yasha lagged behind slightly to walk with Caleb and he shot her a small smile of thanks. Soon enough they had been handed keys to four rooms (“I’d give you more if I had the space, we’ve been full up lately” Thadeus had apologized) and were settled around a table in the corner by a large hearth. Food and drink were brought out, and Caleb watched the others begin to visibly relax. Caleb focused on his meal, it was simple hearty food, and let the conversation wash over him. Thadeus joined them as they were finishing their food, bringing over another round of drinks.

“Sit down with us Thadeus, have a drink!” Jester implored happily, Thadeus laughed but pulled up a chair.

“So, what’s been going on around here lately? The town looks good” Fjord said, looking at Thadeus curiously. Thadues’s face fell a bit at that and he sighed.

“Well, to be quite honest things have been a bit rough the last week or so... we were doin’ well, everything that we lost to the gnolls we had fairly well rebuilt” he paused, sad “but then folks started disappearing again” he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable “and to be honest well... folks here were hopin’ I’d mention it to you, see if you would mind taking a look”

Caleb watched Fjord out of the corner of his eye, wondering how he would respond. They had a mission; they were already on the road to their destination. Master Ikithon would have brushed the man off, told him to contact the crowns guard and have them deal with it. He would have said they were already en route and could not have a delay such as this. Knowing what he did of Fjord though...

“Well of course we’ll help” Caleb held back a smile, taking a sip from his tankard to disguise it as Fjord kept talking “whereabouts are they disappearing? Not by the gnoll caves again...?”

Thadeus shook his head and began trying to explain the location, which prompted Fjord to pull out his map of the area. Caleb was never sure what to make of this group, he had seen them in battle already and they were just as powerful (if not as polished) as any Volstrucker. They had worked together for so long that that they seemed to be able to read each other's movements, always knowing where they others would be during the fight. If an enemy posed a threat to one member it was killed, without remorse.

However... he had also seen them be merciful in situations that made no sense to him. Letting bandits go free after they had attacked... not setting fire to a nest of giant spider eggs. He frowned into his tankard, then there was the way they interacted _outside_ of battle. They were nothing like he had imagined when he was told he would be given to the elite group who _ended a war_. They squabbled over the most ridiculous things, and spent more time arguing about what to have for lunch then they spent discussing political matters or warfare. He had overheard Mollymauk (he was an enigma on his own) and Beauregard argue for 45 minutes straight once about whether orange the colour or orange the fruit came first. Forty-Five _minutes_. 

Staying with them... it had shown him another world. They were so undeniably _good_. They were kind, and open... and they truly seemed to care for each other. They had taken him in, awful, broken, disgusting as he was and they had been kind. He had never known anything like it. He was sure Master Ikithon would laugh, call him a fool, weak, for how he reacted to it. All he could remember was the Academy and Ikithon... there had never been warmth there, never kindness. Even his friendships with other students had been more transactional than anything. He knew they would destroy him without a second's remorse if it meant they got ahead.

He had been the same... but being with these people, these insane, kind, infuriating people... it made him want to be better. He knew that was impossible, his hands were too stained in blood, his mind too broken. But they still made him want to _try._

He startled slightly as his empty tankard was moved and a new one full of water was slid into its place. He looked up to see Yasha smiling softly at him

“Looks like we will be fighting, water is better for that I think”

He nodded, smiling back at her before taking a sip “thank you, I believe you are right”

“Alright y’all, finish up your lunch and we’ll head out” Fjord said simply, drinking down his own tankard of water and looking them over. 

Lunch was finished quickly and they grabbed the cart, heading for the forest just west of the town. Everyone was fairly calm, that was something else Caleb had noticed, unless they knew the enemy was particularly dangerous... this group never seemed to actually worry about going into a fight. They even seemed to look forward to it. Just on the outskirts of the forest, they could see where the missing villagers had been chopping wood for the rebuild, axes and carts left where they had fallen...

And blood. Dried yes, but blood.

The chatter stopped as the others registered what Caleb was staring at. They stopped the cart, pulling out weapons and walking forward slowly. As they neared the tree line, they heard it. Growling, loud and rough and vicious.

“Wolves?” whispered Jester, looking to Fjord, but it was Yasha who responded. She shook her head and whispered back

“Dire wolves”

The pack was large, a dozen huge beasts, all teeth and claws and hunger. The team was doing well but they had all taken way too many hits by the time they were down to the last four beasts. Caleb was standing back, as usual, firing spells off to support and attack as needed. He had gotten a bad bite to the leg at some point, but he didn’t need legs to cast. He watched as Fjord sent out a burst of arcane energy towards the wolf going after Jester and felt a shock of horror as one of the remaining wolves made a run for the distracted Captain. 

“FJORD”

The shout tore from his throat as he threw a fireball that caught the wolf just as it got to Fjord, who managed to swing and catch it with his sword. Caleb sent another as a second wolf leapt at Fjord, catching its fur on fire. It was only then that he registered the flash of movement in his peripheral, turning his head just in time to feel razor sharp teeth clench down on his ribs. He cried out, he was too far for the others to get to and he knew it. The beast let go just to bite down harder, he could feel the wet heat of blood running down his side. 

He made a decision. These people were so good, and kind. So much better than him, and he knew it. He didn’t care, _couldn’t care,_ about whatever mission his Master had sent him on. All he knew was that these people deserved to _live._

He threw two more fire balls, one to finally kill the wolf fighting Fjord and one to set aflame the wolf the Jester and Yasha were finishing off. With his last spell, before the darkness took him, he shot a fireball directly into the face of the wolf attached to his side. He knew it had knocked the beast back, because he felt the teeth tear through his flesh and heard the tearing of his shirt as it flew back whimpering and trying to shake the fire out of its’ fur. He heard someone yell his name, looking away from the burning beast he watched as the Captain ran towards him. His eyes caught the amber ones as his knees finally gave out and he dropped. Fjord skidded to a halt on his own knees, Caleb felt large hands catch hold of his shoulders and lay him down gently on a warm lap.

“Caleb? Caleb!” He pried open his eyes, looked directly into Fjords and smiled.

\----

“Shit!”

Fjord looked up from the wizard, in his lap and saw Jester shoving the last dead wolf away from the trees

“JESTER!” he yelled, she looked over immediately “HELP”

She ran over, her face stricken as she took in the amount of blood.

“I’m nearly out of spells” she fretted, kneeling down “I’ll be able to get him stable but we’ll have to bandage him up until the morning” her hands glowed the pretty pink and green they always did when she healed. They watched as some of the skin knit itself back together and Caleb's breathing evened out. He was still far too pale, making the red of his hair and the red of the blood soaking his clothes stand out even more. Fjord felt an over-warm hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Molly looking back, concern written all over his face.

“Let's get him back to the inn, we can clean him up better there” Fjord nodded, standing and lifting the wizard with one arm around his back and one under his knees, Molly shifted Caleb's head so it was rested against Fjords shoulder.

“We’ll meet you back there okay guys?” Jester called out, she Nott and Yasha were gathering the wolf corpses for whatever reason. 

“Sounds good, see you there” called Molly, resting a hand on the back of Fjords shoulder and steering him towards the cart where Caduceus was talking softly to the horses. Caduceus climbed up and took the reins while Molly helped Fjord get Caleb up into the bed of the cart without jostling him too much. Fjord settled himself in the cart, keeping Caleb sat up against him, head rested back on his shoulder and one of Fjords arms wrapped around his back (“to help with the bumpy roads...” Fjord reasoned internally). Moly didn’t question it, just hopped up on the bench with Caduceus to keep lookout while they rode.

The ride back was quick, and Caleb slept through it, Fjord watching his chest rise and fall erratically. When they arrived back at the Candleglow Molly once again helped get Caleb down, Fjord lifting him once again and heading in. Thadeus jumped when they walked in, looking worried as his eyes landed on the injured wizard and the much smaller group.

“The others are okay” Molly said immediately, clearly seeing the look on the innkeeps face “they’ll be back in just a bit” He paused and looked over at Caleb “uh... our wizard didn’t much like the dire wolves though”

Fjord looked at Molly, communicating silently before heading upstairs with Caleb. He could hear Molly explaining what had happened as he walked away. Caduceus followed him up, grabbing a large bowl of clean water and some clean rags. They settled Caleb on one of the beds, and Caduceus pulled the chair from the desk over and placed the water and rags on it. Fjord sighed and pulled out a small dagger, there was no way they were getting the shirt off without re-opening the wounds. He sliced through, being as gentle as possible before dropping the ruined shirt on the ground. Caduceus had taken one of the rags and was wiping blood from a large slice down Caleb's calf that Fjord hadn’t even noticed (“damned stubborn bastard” he thought, with no real venom behind it). The wound on his side was still bleeding, but sluggishly now thanks to Jester. Fjord grabbed a rag and started wiping away the blood. The dire wolf had really gotten its fangs in deep, the gashes dragged across his ribs in the front and back, meeting with a chunk of missing flesh on his side. Fjord flinched, imagining just how much that must have hurt. 

Caleb groaned in his sleep, brow furrowing as Fjord wiped the thin layer of new skin around one of the particularly bad gashes. Caduceus laid a hand on Fjords arm and smiled kindly at him when Fjord looked up.

“He’s tougher than he looks Fjord, he’s going to be just fine”

“I know Cad” Fjord sighed “I just wish it hadn’t gone the way it did... we should have been able to take some gods damned dire wolves” he paused, looking down at Caleb's pale face for a moment before saying softly “he _smiled_ at me Cad. When he went down... when he was bleeding out” he looked up at Caduceus, confusion clear on his face “he _smiled”_

Caduceus thought for a moment and then, in his slow, somber voice said “yes, that makes sense.” Fjord stared “I think... well I think Mr Caleb is finally beginning to understand that he isn’t what his old master made him” he paused thoughtfully again, moving the now pink water and dirty rags away and pulling out bandages “or, at the very least, that he doesn’t _want_ to be”

He looked Fjord directly in the eye “and I think the idea of protecting everyone, even if he died doing it, would seem a good way to prove he didn’t _have_ to be”

Fjord thought about that, as he and the cleric carefully leveraged Caleb upright enough to wrap his chest with the long bandages, tucking the end in and laying him down gently again. 

“Cad... we gotta do somethin’ about that” he said slowly “we can’t have him putting himself in harm's way like that just to prove a point.”

“Oh, I agree, but I think he’s going to need a little more time to see that we’d be much happier with him alive than with him dead” Caduceus looked sadly at Fjord as he gathered everything to take downstairs “I don’t think he really believes that just yet” With that, Caduceus left the room and Fjord was left to ponder what he had said.

Fjord wasn’t sure how long he sat there, watching Caleb's chest rise and fall rhythmically in his sleep, before there was a light knock and the door creaked open. He looked over to see Nott walking towards him, and apple in her hand.

“Hey Green Man, go get some food”

He shook his head, about to say he was fine but she held up a free hand to stop him “nope, no chance buddy, I ate and took practically no damage. You go eat and let me sit with my boy”

Fjord sighed, he knew there was no winning once Nott went into ‘mom-mode’, so with one last look at Caleb, he got up and walked to the door. Nott ignored the chair he had been in, and instead sat herself on the bed next to him, the mattress barely moved under her small frame. He shut the door quietly, then headed downstairs to the main room of the inn. The rest of the group was seated around the same table as they had been that afternoon, plates of food and tankards of ale in front of them. Beau and Yasha looked about as rough as he felt, Jester and Caduceus looked exhausted but okay and Molly looked...drunk.

He walked over and took a seat, Beau pushing a full plate of food toward him. He nodded thanks, starting in on the meal.

“How’s he doing?” Beau asked roughly.

Fjord took a swig of ale and sighed “about as good as we can expect, he’s still asleep” he nodded to Caduceus “Cad and I got him bandaged up alright”

“Cool, cool cool...” Beau nodded, going back to her food.

“Yasha had a super cool idea Fjord” Jester called over, clearly going for her usual cheerfulness but just slightly too tired to truly make it. He looked between them curiously “yeah yeah yeah! She skinned all the dire wolves, that’s why we stayed back a bit!” She smiled “and then we took them to a tanner, he’s gonna get them set enough to travel without rotting or whatever, and while we’re in Nicodranas we can get them finished properly!”

“They make very good blankets...” said Yasha in her usual soft voice “they’re very soft”

Fjord nodded; some bitter part of his brain loved the idea of using the fur of the damned things. 

Yasha caught his eye, and he felt like she was thinking the same thing “I asked him to sew together the ones that were too small on their own, like a quilt” her voice was a bit steely now, she was definitely mad about how today had gone. “I think it will be nice to have for the cart”

The rest of the evening was quiet, they ate and talked about the remainder of the trip. If they left early enough in the morning, they would reach Trostenwald by nightfall and be able to rest in an inn again. Once they were on the road to the Wuyun Gates however, it was 4 days of travel with nothing to do but camp. They planned out everything they would need to pick up in town to make sure they would be safe on the road.

They all went up to bed, splitting off into pairs; Jester and Beau, Yasha and Molly, Caduceus and Fjord, and sleep hit hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay okay I know I said I was on hiatus, and I still am sort of, but I have this and one more chapter ready and I just hate to leave y'all waiting. Also I'm sorry for hurting the wizard okay? I'M SORRY  
> Just to reiterate: this fic just gets more self-indulgent as we go on. I have it planned out pretty much completely, and it is CHEESEY and SOFT and I'm excited. I love Fluff.
> 
> And y'all! I love y'all <3


	9. Nicodranas Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Road trip!   
> Caleb finally gets to see the ocean, and Fjord is a soft-hearted mess. 
> 
> (Updated tags my friends, don't freak out!)

The first thing Caleb became aware of upon waking up was pain. His head ached; his stomach was cramping with hunger and... Oh _Gods_ his ribs burned.

He opened his eyes with a groan, throwing one arm over his eyes and trying to breathe as shallow as possible. 

“Caleb? You’re awake!” came Notts voice from next to him, he made a noncommittal noise in response. 

He felt her crawl up to sit by his head and then felt a small hand press to his forehead. 

“You don’t feel feverish, so that’s a good sign. I guess they got you cleaned up alright”

He opened his eyes, turning toward her voice to look at her. She was sitting very close, so most of his vision was filled with big yellow eyes. He forced a small smile for her and was rewarded with a huge grin breaking across her face. Some people might have been put off by it, goblin faces were not really made for smiling. Caleb liked it though, her smiles were always a treat to him, they made him feel like he had done something very right.

“ _Guten Morgen_ Nott” he flinched at how rough his voice sounded “how long have I been out?”

“Ever since you went down to the dire wolf” she frowned “we were worried about you! Don’t let monsters do that to you ever again.” He removed the arm from over his eyes, reaching out to put his hand on hers.

“I will try my very best, I am sorry I worried you”

_Pathetic_

_Useless, felled by wild dogs. They should have left you there._

He tried not to flinch at the sound in his mind.

Nott hopped off the bed, waving away his apology and starting to pour him a glass of water from the jug on the nightstand. As he tried to sit up there was a knock on the door (“come in!” called Nott) and in walked Fjord. Caleb gasped as he apparently moved too quickly, his hand flying to his side as the pain flared.

“Caleb!” Fjord crossed the room in a few long strides and put a supportive hand on his back “you need to be careful; we weren’t able to heal you all the way yesterday”

Caleb tried to slow his breathing as Fjord helped him lean up against the headboard. He looked up to find concerned amber eyes much closer to his own than he was expecting and gasped again involuntarily. Fjords brow furrowed as he tilted his head to get a better view of Caleb's injury

“I don’t see any blood yet, so it doesn’t look like you tore it, but Gods only know what kind of internal damage...” he trailed off, looking back up and seeming to search Caleb’s face. Caleb felt himself flush under the scrutiny, and Fjords hand came up to rest on his forehead.

“No fever... that’s good at least.” He leaned back and the air around Caleb seemed to cool drastically. He found that he had to fight the urge to follow him. Nott hopped back onto the bed, handing him the water which he dutifully took a sip of. Fjord straightened up, looking towards the door instead of at Caleb.

“Jessie is just getting dressed and then she’ll be in here to get you sorted out” he paused while Caleb nodded “then we’re getting back on the road, we should be in Trostenwald by tonight and we’ll be able to get one more good night's sleep”

Caleb nodded again, taking another sip of his water before clearing his throat.

“Ah... Fjo- Captain? I... I want to apologize” Fjord looked completely confused now, but Caleb barreled on “I should have been paying more attention, I have caused trouble for you by not keeping a better eye during the fight”

_Shameful_

_Weak... A liability_

“Someone else could have been hurt due to my inattention and... I am sorry”

Fjord just blinked at him for a moment before shaking his head

“No Caleb. No. That’s not how this goes” Caleb looked up, the familiar feeling of confusion colouring his expression “we’re a team, we look out for each other. That fight went bad because we didn’t put enough thought into it as a _team_.” He smiled sadly at Caleb now “ _I'm_ the one who should apologize, you were trying to help deal with the wolves after me, I should have taken care of them quicker”

_He lies. You are not worth protecting_

Caleb shook his head, trying to dispel the voice, but Fjord only smiled kindly at him.

“I know it takes getting used to” his voice was softer now, making Caleb look up, blue eyes meeting amber “but you’re one of us, and we care about you. All of us”

Before Caleb could say anything, the door flew open and Jester bounded into the room

“Good morning Cay-leeeeeb!” she sang “let's get you all better!” She pranced across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed “ready?”

Caleb nodded, and closed his eyes, beyond ready to for the pain to be gone. Jester laid a hand gently on his ribs and clutched her holy symbol, muttering under her breath “let’s get rid of the nasty hole for him okay Traveler?” before the pink and green arcane glow flowed from her fingers. Jesters healing magic was always warm and sweet, it left a sugary taste in the back of Caleb's mouth. The feeling of new skin growing and knitting together was never pleasant, but it was definitely better than the alternative. As soon as she finished, he took a deep breath, sighed with relief at how much it didn’t hurt. He opened his eyes to smile and thank Jester, and found his eyes drawn to Fjord... whose expression he could not read.

It took them about 20 minutes to get ready, Nott hovered and fussed the whole time, making sure to take some food for the road (“we have to keep your strength up!”). As they arrived outside, Caduceus was once again talking quietly to the horses and Yasha was standing at the back of the covered wagon bed with a warm smile on her face.

“Good morning Yasha” Caleb smiled back; he really did like the odd woman.

“good morning...” she replied in her usual soft tones “we have a surprise”

He raised an eyebrow curiously, but she only held open the flap of the wagon, still smiling. He walked forward and climbed in, giving his eyes a moment to adjust. Once they did, he couldn’t help but laugh. The whole floor of the cart bed was covered in soft furs, and someone had made window flaps in the side of the wagon covering. All of their travel bags were lined up along the back wall, and there was even a closeable window that looked out onto the driver's bench. He turned back and smiled at Yasha

“This is really something, we will be the envy of all other adventurers I'm sure”

She smiled brightly “the furs are from the dire wolves, and the tanner also did the window flaps” she climbed in and showed him where they buttoned open on the inside “this way we can still see the outside” she looked right into his eyes and her expression softened “we can watch the flowers the whole way now”

Caleb felt his chest constrict as he smiled back. This: this was yet more proof that he did not deserve to share the same air and space with these people. The fact that this Xhorhasian barbarian had thought to do something like this, for him, was unimaginably kind. He knew, deep down, that he didn’t deserve any of it. Not their kindness, not their thoughtful gestures, none of it. 

But Caleb also knew he was a selfish man, and he would take it.

The others joined them, Caduceus and Fjord steering, Molly and Yasha riding separately, while Nott, Jester and Caleb rode in the cart. Caleb helped Jester open all of the windows, before settling down comfortably with his books.

Caleb spent the next four days of travel switching between reading the books he had brought from the library (all conveniently stored in Widogast’s Vault of Amber) and staring out the window of the cart in absolute awe of the scenery. It was nothing like he had ever seen in person, the only person who really understood was Yasha, she had felt the same things when she first came to the Empire.

The last night of their journey he found himself sitting watch with Beau, and extra precaution that Fjord had insisted on as they got closer to the border. The weather had already gotten much warmer over the days of travel, and they were sitting comfortably in just their shirts and pants (though Caleb kept his gloves on, as always). Beau had pulled out the romance novel that she and Jester seemed to share, so Caleb had felt comfortable enough to pull out the poetry he had been reading during the day. His dancing lights were casting a warm glow over their heads that matched the firelight, but made it easier to read.

_Wasting energy to read something so unimportant._

_Pathetic._

He winced; the voice had been particularly acidic in recent days.

“Why do you do that?”

He looked over to see Beau watching him, her book open on her lap. Her expression was scrutinizing, though not hostile.

“Do...what?”

“Flinch like someone yelled at you”

He blinked, feeling his eyes widen in the darkness. He knew it was an involuntary habit, but he hadn’t thought it noticeable. 

The question was... be honest, or play dumb? The Nine had been nothing but kind to him, they had been open with him. Hells, they had saved him when they could easily have let him die and been rid of his useless self. 

“I... sometimes when I do something Master Ikithon would have... objected to” he paused, trying to make it sound less ridiculous “I can hear him, in my head, as if he were there”

He sighed and looked down at the book on his own lap, waiting for her to realize just how broken he was.

“Oh, yeah I get that”

Caleb looked back over, shocked into staring, but Beau just shrugged, flipping through her book.

“Yeah, they’re a kind of intrusive thought... like, your brain is so _used_ to being yelled at or beat up that it just sort of... does it on its own” 

She reached out, resting a hand on his where it sat in his lap before smiling a bitter smile at him

“Just gotta ignore them man, they’re not true. Your brain got used to abuse and doesn’t know any better”

He nodded, unsure what else to do, and she went back to her reading. 

He hadn’t been abused... yes, his training had been strict and the punishments for failure had been tough, but abuse seemed excessive. His Master had _had_ to show them what would happen if they failed in battle, or on a mission. Their world was life or death, what were a few scars and... intrusive thoughts, in the grand scheme of things. 

Just ignore them, they’re not true. He mulled that over for the rest of the shift, idly flipping pages but not absorbing anything. Could he learn to ignore them? Maybe. It would be nice not to get yelled at by his own mind anymore. Yasha and Fjord took over for them a few hours later. Fjord wished him a good sleep with a light hand on his shoulder that left the area warm as he fell into an uneasy sleep. 

He woke the next morning on his side, with the comforting weight of a hand on his waist. He sighed softly, letting himself enjoy the sensation for an extra moment before he opened his eyes. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised to see the comfortable cream tunic and peek of green skin in front of him. He watched the rise and fall of Fjords chest, fighting the desire to scoot closer, to press himself into the solid warmth that he knew must be there. 

He closed his eyes as the hand on his waist clenched and unclenched. Fjords breathing changed as he began to wake up, and Caleb heard the soft exhale of breath as he was sure the other man tried to decide what to do. Caleb fought the urge to smile but decided to put the poor man out of his misery. He yawned and opened his eyes slowly, tilting his head to look into Fjords face. The sleepy smile that scrawled across his face was genuine as his eyes met the captains.

“Good morning Fjord” he kept his voice at a whisper, in case the others were still asleep. 

Fjords cheeks darkened, but he smiled back, giving Caleb’s waist another squeeze

“Mornin’ Cay”

Caleb, feeling bold in the pre-dawn darkness, pressed a palm lightly to Fjords chest. He was warm, just as Caleb had thought he would be, and the blush that extended to his neck at the touch was downright sweet. They lay like that for a while, as the sun rose around them, enjoying the brief calm and the strange privacy that these moments in the semi-dark seemed to offer. Fjord sighed as the others began to shuffle and make sounds of waking up. He took the hand from Caleb’s waist with clear reluctance and they both stood and stretched. 

Packing up took no time at all, they ate a quick breakfast and were on the road just as the sun was fully risen. 

Later that day, just after they passed through the Wuyun Gates, Molly called for a quick stop. He popped his head into the cart and smiled mischievously at Caleb.

“Question for you darling”

“And what would that be Mr. Mollymauk?” Caleb was getting used to Molly's terms of endearment.

“Do you know how to ride?”

“...I assume you mean horseback?”

Molly burst out laughing “oh! He has jokes!” Caleb smirked slightly in response “yes, horseback you naughty thing”

Caleb nodded, raising an eyebrow in question, but Molly shook his head and held out a hand. Caleb took it and allowed Molly to help him down from the cart. He tilted his horned head toward the horse he had been riding.

“Get on up” Caleb must have looked as confused as he felt, because Molly laughed again “trust me Mr. Wizard, you’ll want a clear view when we get to the city”

Caleb felt the dawning awe as they approached the city walls, tall with many arches all equipped with portcullises attached to huge chain mechanisms. The stone looked like it had been a smooth grey once, but now it was dappled with darker greys and bleached out white. 

And... yes.

There, on the horizon, was the ocean. He could hear the faint sounds of seagulls and already the scent of salt was on the hot summer breeze. He took a deep breath and found himself smiling, unable to take his eyes off the sight. As they approached one of the archways, guards in strange mis-matched uniforms nodded them in.

“Those are the Zhelezo” Fjord said quietly once they were passed the gate “like the crowns guard, but stricter”

He caught Fjords eye and smiled. They rode through the bustling streets, attracting a few stares with their large cart. The people were much more diverse here, Caleb saw far more non-human residents and visitors walking about then he had in the cities of the Empire. The fact that this was a port town was made very clear by the jumble of styles, accents, and languages he could hear in the crowd. While it might have overwhelmed him before, with Fjord riding beside him he felt only the stirrings of excitement. The smells of food, and salt water, and the heat from the sun all seemed to wrap around him in a comfortable cacophony. 

Fjord led them towards more arches, these had large gems embedded at the top and the district behind them was clearly the oldest in the city. The streetlamps gave way to magical lights, and the already vibrate clothing became crushed silks and sparkling jewels. Caleb felt like he couldn’t take it in fast enough, and the heat was making his head spin. 

“Here we are” Fjord said cheerfully, pointing to a tall sky-blue building ahead of them.

The windows of the building had gold leafed wooden frames, and cerulean crushed velvet curtains could be seen, tied back in some places and pulled closed in others. At the large double doors stood two Zhelezo, and Caleb gasped as the light hit the huge stained glass window above the doors, sending a rainbow spilling onto the steps. 

They handed over the horses and cart to a man in a stable hand uniform, taking their bags and heading into the building. Jester was practically vibrating with excitement at being home again, greeting the staff by name and beaming. The main room was clearly meant for shows, it had ten round tables covered in fine cloth, two long well carved bars and a large stage at the far end. The ceilings were 15 feet high, with large elegant chandeliers hanging. 

Jester grabbed his hand and bolted for the single long staircase that lead upwards. She pulled him up the stairs, and then up a second flight to the top floor of the building. They skidded to a stop outside of a door where a massive minotaur in a fine shirt and no pants was standing guard

“Bluud!”

The minotaur smiled fondly at Jester, the brief look of surprise that he had greeted them with gone in a flash.

“Jester! Your mother said you would be coming for a visit”

“Is she inside?”

He nodded, knocked twice on the door and waited. A soft voice called for them to come in just as the others caught up. Bluud opened the door and Caleb stared as they all walked in. 

The room was _beautiful_. There was a large canopy bed, covered in expensive sheets and pillows in rich purples and reds. The windows were covered by silks with gems and beads knitted into the braided cords that added colored dancing speckles throughout the chamber. He could see that one “window” was actually a large glass door, leading to a balcony with a view of the entire wharf. There were bookshelves covered with books of all sizes, and every available surface seemed to have small trinkets on it. Seated at a beautiful vanity was quite possibly the most beautiful woman that Caleb had ever seen. She was a Tiefling with ruby red skin and deep red hair, dressed in a fine pale blue silk dress that showed her figure, and delicate gold jewelry. Her horns were adorned much like Molly’s with gems and delicate chains. 

The moment she saw Jester she dropped her silver brush and stood, meeting her daughter halfway as Jester ran towards her and threw her arms around her mothers neck.

Caleb looked away, this sort of outward affection between a parent and child was... unfamiliar. Surely his mother must have held him like that at some point, must have stared at him with the absolute love that this woman did for Jester. 

He just... couldn’t remember it.

\----

Fjord watched Jester and Marion reunite with the usual mix of joy and jealousy. It was amazing to see the unconditional love that Marion had for Jes, the way they both seemed to light up from the inside as soon as they were back in the same space. But he had never been able to completely banish the twinge of jealousy he felt towards her. He had never known his parents, they had dropped him at the orphanage and never looked back... he didn’t even know if they were even still alive.

His eyes found Caleb (as they so often did lately), and he felt that jealousy replaced instantly with sympathy. The expression on the gingers face, barely concealed, was too close to his own inner thoughts to ignore. He shifted slightly as Jester started talking rapidly to her mother, reaching out and tapping Caleb’s hand with his. He jumped and looked at Fjord in surprise and embarrassment. Fjord smiled at him, before leaning in close to whisper so that the others wouldn’t hear

“It’s okay to miss them, she won’t hold it against you”

Caleb tilted his head to look Fjord in the eye again, and he felt a little thrill go down his spine at just how close they were. If he wanted to, he could just lean in and...

“ _Danke_ Fjord, truly”

Warm breath brushed his lips when Caleb whispered back, but the wizard was smiling, even if it was a little sad. It was something. 

Fjord pulled away.

He thought, for a moment, something like disappointment flashed through the blue eyes. But then Caleb was being pulled away by an excited Jester.

“Oh! Momma, this is Caleb, the super smart wizard I told you about!” She gave him a little shove, and he stood up straight “Caleb, this is my Momma! Marion Lavorre, the Ruby of the Sea”

Marion looked Caleb over in that motherly way Fjord had seen before, concern fading to a warm smile as she held out her hand

“Marion is fine of course, any friend of my Sapphire is a friend of mine”

Caleb, to Fjords surprise, took her hand with all the delicacy of a nobleman, and bowed over it for a moment before letting go and smiling at her.

“ _Danke_ , Marion for your hospitality. Jester was not exaggerating when she spoke of your kindness”

Marion’s eyebrow raised for a moment, but her smile brightened as Jester scoffed

“Oh my gosh like I would _need_ to exaggerate! Momma is the _best”_

Marion chuckled “well, why don’t you get settled darling? I have rooms set aside for all of you up on this floor. I am singing tonight, so we should have a lovely evening”

Jester babbled excitedly while Bluud handed them all keys and pointed out the rooms. They spread out, Jester staying behind with her mother. Separate rooms was a luxury usually reserved for the keep, and after so many nights sleeping practically on top of each other it would be nice. 

Probably.

He unpacked his clothes, tucking them into the provided dresser. The rooms were lovely, well-made furniture, a large window (which in his case, looked out on the wharf) and soft, expensive sheets and pillows. The bedspread was a dark teal crushed silk and went with the deep cerulean velvet curtains, and the cotton sheets beneath were a creamy off-white. The rooms even had their own attached bathrooms, which was something the other inns they stayed in never had. 

He spent the next hour getting showered and cleaned up, dressing in his lighter clothes. He chose some of the nicer items he had, if they were going to be watching the Ruby sing they would need to look the part. Once he was dressed he went and knocked on Caleb’s door. 

_“Bitte eintreten”_ Caleb called from inside

He opened the door, smiling. Caleb had gotten so much more relaxed about using his native tongue lately, it was nice to see. 

“Hey Cay, I just-” he cut off staring.

Caleb stood with his back to the door, going through the drawers as if looking for something. His hair was damp and loose, falling between his shoulder blades. The early evening sun set the copper shining and showed off the angles of the smaller mans’ slim waist. 

But that wasn’t what caught Fjords attention (not really, anyway). It was the scars. 

Now, Fjord knew scars. He had plenty of his own, as did the rest of the Nine, hells, Molly was covered in them. Caleb was a soldier, of course he would have scars... but the sheer number and _variety_ was what gave him pause. There was the horrible one along his side and ribs from the dire wolves, still pink and new looking. Then there were obvious bite marks from other animals and beasts, slashes from knives and round former punctures that were likely from arrows and crossbow bolts. 

However, there were very old scars under these, scars that even from where he stood, he knew were from a whip. Smaller ones that looked like acid damage, all over his back and shoulders... all easily hidden under his old uniforms. Then there were his arms... Fjord had never seen Caleb without his gloves before, and all along his forearms were neat, straight scars. A precise pattern, clearly pre-planned, and mirrored on each arm. 

Caleb turned and blinked at him for a moment before his face went pale in realization. He made a grab for the discarded gloves that were sitting on the dresser, but Fjord stepped forward and reached out. 

“Wait, you don’t have to-”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to-”

They both stopped, standing this close Fjord could see the fear and shame in Caleb’s eyes. Fjord took his hand, gently placing the gloves back on the dresser with the other. Still watching the wizards face, he lifted both hands with his, searching those eyes for a moment. He looked down, taking in the pattern of thin lines all across pale skin. Someone (and he had an idea who) had put these here on purpose, for what reason he didn’t know. 

And he realized, he didn’t need to know. If Caleb wanted to tell him, he would. He took a breath, lowered their joined hands and looked back at Caleb.

“You don’t need to hide from us Cay” he kept his voice gentle, not wanting to spook the other man “you’re safe, you gotta know you’re safe”

Caleb’s eyes were flicking rapidly across his face, searching for some kind of deception Fjord was sure. Seeming to find none, the hands in his started to shake, as did the rest of the man in front of him. Fjord let go, holding out an arm questioningly. To his surprise, Caleb stepped into the embrace, his forehead pressed to Fjords shoulder and hands on his chest. Fjord wrapped him up, holding tight enough to help with the tremors. 

“They... they are from our training” Caleb’s voice was muffled against his shirt, but clear enough “We were made to test weapons against each other, to test our strength and our loyalty. My- the arms are an ongoing experiment… Master Ikithon was trying to make us stronger, heighten our casting abilities.”

He paused, and Fjord felt horror and pure hatred boil up in him at the thought of _children_ being put through that kind of pain.

“We...” Fjord rubbed light circles in his back, fingertips brushing over the ridges of scar tissue “we thought it was normal, that this was how all soldiers trained... trained for potential capture situations... trained not to break”

“Oh Caleb...” Fjord sighed, moving one hand to run through damp hair “you were _children”_

“We knew no different” the response was quieter, sadder than before

Children, taken from their families and taught to kill, taught to harness magic for violence and self-preservation. Taught unwavering loyalty to an Empire that turned a blind eye to their abuse. It was disgusting... abhorrent. 

“I think… I am afraid they have turned us into monsters”

Fjord was certain if anyone listened closely enough, they would have heard his heart crack, just as Caleb’s voice had cracked in his admittance. He loosened his grip, holding Caleb at arm's length, hands wrapped loosely around pale shoulders.

“You are not a monster Caleb” his voice was sterner than he had meant it to be, and Caleb flinched.

Fjord took a breath, softening his voice when he continued.

“What happened to you was horrible, what they did... no person, especially no child, should go through it” He released one shoulder and placed his hand on Caleb’s cheek instead, causing him to look up “the assholes who did this, _they_ are the monsters, not you”

Caleb’s cheeks flushed at the intensity in Fjords voice, and he could feel embarrassment simmering under his conviction, but he didn’t let up. Caleb needed to understand.

Fjord let him go after a moment, taking a breath. Thoughts like this weren’t ones that could be changed in a day, or a week, or a month... but you had to start somewhere. Caleb stepped forward tentatively, reaching out to smooth the front of Fjords shirt where he had been gripping it. He didn’t look up when he spoke, apparently preferring to focus on removing wrinkles that were no longer there

“I... I find I don’t know what to say to you Fjord, thank you does not seem enough, and I am sorry does not seem to fit...” he took a breath, sighing it out “I just- I appreciate you Fjord, truly”

Fjord felt his heart swell in his chest, and before he could stop himself he had leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to the top of Caleb’s head. He pulled away, stepping towards the door and clearing his throat

“I meant it, every word” he looked into the too blue eyes and smiled “dress nice for dinner alright?”

Caleb nodded, smiling back weakly and turning back towards the dresser. 

Fjord passed the next few hours at the bar downstairs. Beau, Yasha, Nott and Cad were already downstair when he arrived, sitting on plush stools and talking over drinks. Fjord ordered an ale and sat next to Beau, downing half the tankard before speaking.

“Y’all right there Captain?” his first mate and best friend teased.

He nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged.... then sighed.

“Anything you want to talk about?” Caduceus asked kindly, but Fjord shook his head

“Nah, I think I’d rather just enjoy the evening”

The five of them sat and nursed drinks, watching as the audience began to gather. There was a table right in the center with a reserved sign and eight chairs around it. Jester, Molly and Caleb came down together, Molly and Jester were dressed in their best. Molly had on a new shirt in a sheer violet fabric that hid absolutely nothing of his torso, and several new baubles on his horns. Fjord rolled his eyes. 

Caleb though... he was dressed in a deep green tunic with long sleeves that puffed out slightly before ending in fitted cuffs. The lacing on the top had been left looser than he would usually wear it, showing a peak of pale chest and darker auburn hair. The pants were high waisted and fashionably snug, tucked into a pair of tall leather boots. He had tied his component pouch onto the waist of the pants, and Fjord couldn’t help but think he looked like one of the men from the covers of Jesters smutty novels. 

He caught Caleb’s eye as the group headed for their table, worried that their conversation earlier had upset him. Caleb smiled at him, lifting a hand in a wave... a hand that Fjord realized was bare of the usual fingerless glove. He smiled back, trying to project the pride he felt for the man. 

Marion began her show right as the sun started to hit the stained-glass window. The bold colours complimented her performance, giving her already beautiful voice an almost ethereal quality. Dinner was served as they watched, complete with the wine that Caleb had taken a liking to back at the keep. 

After the show, Marion joined them for a little while, but had to leave to mingle with the guests. The tables had all been moved off to the side so that people could mingle and dance to the instrumental music still being played. Molly and Beau headed for the bar to grab another round of drinks as the waiters had stopped table service after the show. Fjord knew he had had a few too many already, but he was on vacation (for the night at least). He took his glass and moved over to sit next to Caleb, who was watching the dancers with a dazed smile on his face.

“You alright there Cay?” he teased, smirking at the clearly just-past-tipsy wizard.

Caleb hummed and turned to smile at him

“ _Sehr gut_ Fjord, thank you for asking”

“Just how many glasses of that have you had there darlin’”?

Caleb huffed out a laugh “oh I have no idea”

Fjord raised an eyebrow in surprise and Caleb chuckled again

“Nott and the Menace keep refilling it, I have lost track” he grinned conspiratorially “I am certain I will regret it in the morning _ja_?”

“The Menace?”

“Oh _Ja_ , absolutely incorrigible” he snickered, draining his last sip from the glass just as Molly and Beau got back. 

Beau slid into Fjords abandoned seat and started talking to Jester but Molly swayed over (clearly drunk as well). He draped himself over Caleb’s shoulder, setting a new glass in front of him with a mischievous grin. 

“You see Fjord, an absolute menace” Caleb grinned, his voice fond as he patted Molly’s cheek and took a sip from the new glass.

Molly turned his smirk towards Fjord as he took the empty seat on the other side of Caleb, keeping one hand on the shoulder closest to Fjord and resting his chin on the other, looking every bit the proverbial ‘devil on your shoulder’.

“Hmmm, so it’s _Fjord_ now is it darling? Not captain anymore?”

The Tiefling was twirling a strand of ginger hair around his finger absently, and Fjord tried not to glare. Molly was always tactile; it was a good thing that Caleb was comfortable enough to allow this kind of attention without panicking. But the thought of how that hair had felt when he had run his hand through it earlier... he took a breath.

Caleb just hummed noncommittally and sipped his wine again, leaning forward and resting his chin on his palm before he answered.

“Maybe I have decided I like the sound of it”

Fjords mouth was curiously dry, those blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the light from the candles on the tables and the refracted light from the crystals on the chandeliers. Before his brain could catch up enough to answer, Jester pranced over and grabbed Caleb, pulling him up from the table in a flurry of skirts.

“Dance with me!”

Not waiting for an answer, she twirled him off onto the dancefloor. Fjord groaned and dropped his forehead into his palms. He heard a shuffle and felt a warm hand on his back, looking up to see Molly smiling at him cheekily.

“Don’t fret doll, everyone forgets how to talk sometimes”

“It’s those damned _eyes_ Mols” he lamented, picking up Caleb’s abandoned glass and downing it “I swear a man could damn well drown in them faster than any actual ocean”

“Don’t go getting all poetic on us now Cap, it doesn’t suit you and I don’t wanna puke up my free booze” Beau teased from his other side, reminding him quite suddenly that the _entire_ Mighty Nine had, in fact, been sitting right there the whole time.

He groaned again.

Gods damn this group and their complete lack pf personal space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm still here!   
> I'm nearly done the next chapter, so I figured y'all might like to have this one!


	10. Sun and Salt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb sees the ocean, and there is so much cuddling.

Caleb woke to the light of the sun peeking in between his curtains, surrounded by the sounds of sleepy soft breathing and snoring that he knew was Beaus. He smiled to himself and curled a little closer to her now familiar form, feeling the person behind him shift in turn, a large hand flexing slightly where it was pressed against his stomach. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was ridiculous that they had all ended up in a room together, when they had been given beautiful rooms of their own. And somewhere in that same logical corner, he knew he should have been excited about having his own space after so long on the road.

But he hadn’t been, the idea had only made him feel stressed. His mind was still reeling after his conversation with Beau, trying to come to terms with the idea that his _training_ had been abusive rather than just strict. When Fjord had come in the day before and held his hands, looking at his scars with sadness and worry instead of pity or disgust… It had hit home. 

_“You were children”_

_“You’re safe Cay, you gotta know you’re safe”_

He smiled again as he thought of it. The conversation had been difficult, and embarrassing, but Fjord was kind, he was always so kind. If Caleb was honest, he _did_ feel safe with the Nine. Safe enough to explore the idea of his own abuse, maybe safe enough to ask Beau about it later.

Certainly, safe enough to sleep.

“Quit thinkin’ so loud Widogast” came Fjord’s whispered voice behind him “you’ll wake everyone up”

Caleb held back a laugh, though just barely as he rolled over to face the half-orc (and if this new position shifted Fjords hand from his stomach to his lower back well… that was just a bonus).

“I think very quietly, thank you very much” he whispered back, smirking. 

Fjord’s eyes were still sleep hazy when he opened them, specifically to roll them at Caleb. 

“Sure sure, whatever you say” the warm thumb on his spine started making gentle circles “go back to sleep, plenty of time for thinkin’ later”

Caleb only hummed in response, but he did close his eyes and begin to slow his breathing as best he could. Beau had shifted when he rolled over, throwing an arm over him and grumbling incoherently. There was something… undefinable about the comfort of Fjords hand on his back and her arm thrown over his bicep. Caleb had never been one to feel _protected_ , but that was the only word he could think of to describe this. 

He did manage to fall back to sleep, and the next time he woke it was to the sound of knocking on the door. Beau grumbled in his ear again as Nott shouted asking who it was and what they wanted.

“I-is Miss Jester in? Her mother is looking for her…”

Jester bounced up, knocking Nott from where she had been lying curled up against her and causing Yasha to sit up as well. As she flung the door open Caleb could only imagine what an image they must all have made. The Mighty Nine, war heroes, all curled up in a pile still in their evening finery and with half of them still snoring. Jester left in a whirlwind of skirts as the others all sat up and stretched, Beau cursing quietly under her breath. He sat up and stretched, looking around the room. It clearly wasn’t a room made for guests, the bed was far too large and the walls were absolutely covered in paintings he knew must have been put there by Jester.

“You think too much dude”

Caleb gaped at the monk as she untied her hair and started to run her fingers through the tangles.

“I- What? I was _asleep_ Beauregard”

“Yeah? And you think too much”

“At least I do not kick”

“I’m not _clingy_ ”

“I do not _snore_ ”

Fjord started to laugh and Caleb turned from where he had been glaring at Beau, seeing her cross her arms and glare out of the corner of his eye.

“And just what is so funny _Captain_?”

Fjord held his hands up in surrender, a smirk still playing along his lips.

“Oh nothin’ nice to see you two getting along is all”

“We were not” they said together, and Caleb fought to keep the fondness out of his voice

“She is awful”

“He’s a complete pain in the ass”

Fjord looked between them and rolled his eyes, climbing over them both to get out of the bed.

“Uh-huh, if you say so”

Once Fjords back was to them, Caleb caught Beaus eye and finally lost the fight with the smile that had been threatening to break free. She flipped him off and smiled back, ice-blue eyes bright with mischief. He wasn’t sure exactly when the shift in their relationship had happened… some time in the past few months, with days and nights spent on the road and battles spent defending and assisting each other, something had clicked. He no longer found himself worried that she would hurt him if he messed something up, or if he spoke out of turn (though to be fair, no one in the Nine seemed to care about that part). He supposed it didn’t hurt that they were the “Empire Kids” (as Beau had drunkenly titled them one night at yet another dingy inn), but Nott was also of the Empire… though she seemed to hold very little love for it. 

By the time Jester returned everyone was sitting up and at least mostly awake. She bounded into the room with a huge bundle of fabric in her arms, beaming at them.

“Swimming clothes!”

Caleb blinked at her, he had long since learned that if they waited long enough she would explain.

“Momma says they’re _all the rage_ with the rich people! They look like smalls to me… but in pretty colours! And the shorts are a teeny bit longer, but look at the pretty colours”

Caleb smirked, of course the rich would need something _special_ to go into the water with, every time they had found a spring to bath in on the roads they had all just gone in in their small clothes. It made sense, and they dried fast enough, but that wasn’t quite fancy enough he supposed. He took the deep blue shorts that Jester handed him with a smile anyway, if it made her happy then why not.

_Giving in to the eccentricities of this child, you are weak-willed_

He flinched and sighed, trying his best to ignore the voice like Beau had said. He was going to get to see the ocean today, something new and exciting. Even the voice couldn’t take that away.

The girls shooed them out of Jesters room, since they would need to change completely. Molly rolled his eyes and grumbled something about bath-houses and prudes, tugging Caleb and Fjord along behind him across the hall. Once they had the strange new shorts on under their clothes, they headed for the dining room to grab some breakfast. The girls joined them soon after, pretty wrapped dresses over their swimwear except for Beau, who glared when Molly smirked at her. 

After breakfast Jester announced that they should walk to the beach, since that way they could see more of the city than last time. Caleb felt a spike of nerves in his chest, he had done well getting into the city yesterday but they had been on horseback, not right down in the crowds…

But the others would be there, and Fjord always seemed willing to help with his discomfort (he felt his stomach flip at the memory of their entrance into Zadash all those months ago).

He took a breath, and followed the Nine out into the blazing sun. 

\----

Fjord stuck close to Caleb as they walked through the city streets, it was late enough in the morning that even the Arches was bustling with activity. To his surprise, Caleb didn’t seem nearly as panicked as he had thought the man might be. He was talking quietly to Beau, his eyes flitting around as if he was trying to take everything in at once. Fjord smiled when those eyes caught his, nodding when Caleb smiled tentatively back. He had opened up so much, this morning had been proof of just how much more comfortable the wizard had become with them. They passed through the outer gates leading to the docks and Caleb stopped dead in his tracks. The look of absolute awe on his face made something warm spread through Fjords chest.

He took a deep breath and pulled his eyes from Caleb to the ocean, it was beautiful. The sound of the crashing waves a welcome change from the noise of busy streets, even the shouts of the dock workers and sailors was comforting. Fjord had missed it, he always felt like he could breath easier when he was on the ocean, or even just next to it. 

Maybe he should look into getting a place here for the Nine… they had one in Xhorhas and one in the Empire after all… it would make sense to have a place on neutral ground. Somewhere on the coast maybe, not right in the city but not so far that it would be inconvenient. 

They had reached the beach while he had been thinking about it, and everyone was rushing to pull off clothes and shoes. Nott didn’t like the water still, so she and Caduceus were going to set up the large blanket that Jester had brought and watch the clothes. Fjord walked over to were Caleb was standing in the swim shorts and his loose linen shirt. He was watching Beau and the others run into the water with trepidation on his face. 

“They won’t judge” Fjord said softly as he stood next to the smaller man “they won’t even ask if you don’t want them to”

Caleb chewed his lower lip, fidgeting with the hem of the shirt for another moment before he spoke.

“Beauregard… made a comment when we were on watch about one of my habits being the result of abuse”

Fjord hummed in response, uncertain where he was going with this.

“It has occurred to me that I- I did not know I was abused. It never… it was _normal._ And I find myself unsure what this new information means for me”

That explained their conversation the other night… Caleb’s reaction to his comments made so much more sense. If he had never thought of it as abuse… Fuck Fjord hated the Empire. The simmering anger in his gut made him want to march back across the border and burn the entire Assembly to the ground. Any organization that could take _children_ and not only torture them for years but brainwash them enough that they thought it was normal deserved to burn. 

“I think- well” he started, looking out over the ocean and trying to calm himself “I don’t think you need to figure it out all at once y’know? It’s okay to take it day by day and just… be”

Caleb hummed next to him

“And we’re here anyway, to help I mean”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a smile creep over Caleb’s face, pale cheeks dusted pink as he tugged the shirt over his head and tossed it towards the pile behind them.

“The ocean really is beautiful”

“Yup, sure is”

They spent the better part of the day on the beach, swimming and joking (and definitely not almost drowning no sir). Fjord caught Beau’s eye as they were swimming when he saw her brow furrow in response to Caleb’s scars, shaking his head. She nodded, and to his relief seemed to pass the information on to the others as the day progressed. They ate a picnic lunch on the huge blanket, Caleb was already starting to burn and Jester was enjoying teasing him about it. They as the sun began to set they all crowded around on the blanket, having pulled their clothes back on to protect against the faint sea breeze that suddenly seemed much cooler after a day in the sun. They watched the sun go down over the ocean, the colours reflecting in the water. 

They packed up and made their way back to the Chateau in the fading light, just as the streetlamps were beginning to flare to life. Caleb was walking close to him again, sleeves rolled up and arms lightly brushing as they walked. It would be nothing to take his hand, barely a twitch of movement really… but Fjord didn’t close the gap. They shared beds and food, they talked and laughed freely now, and Caleb had relaxed around him in a way he had thought might never happen. But… he couldn’t do it, he couldn’t bring himself to potentially ruin this comfortable warmth between them.

Instead, he talked happily with the others, promising they would go see Orly and the crew the next day. It would be nice to be back on the ship, even if she was docked. 

As they arrived back at the main doors of the Chateau a very annoyed looking half-elf in Empire colours rushed towards them.

“You are the Mighty Nine?”

Fjord stepped forward and nodded “That’s us, who’s asking?”

“I have a missive from the King, I tried to deliver it at your keep but was told you had left the day before”

Fjord furrowed his brow, a message from the King? What kind of message could he be sending them? A spark of fear hit his stomach, was it the war? Had something happened? 

He schooled his face into a calm that he didn’t feel, took the letter and broke the official seal. He sighed as he read it, not a war, just politics.

“His majesty wants us to go to Whitestone, they’re working on some kind of trade treaty with the people that run it” he felt the others relax around him as he read on “says we may hear from the Bright Queen as well, she’s sending a delegation too”

He looked up at the messenger and nodded once “tell him we’ll be there I suppose”

The man nodded with clear relief and left, headed towards the stables. Poor man was going to have to ride all the way back to the empire.

“Jes? Wanna send a message to… whoever just to let them know we’re going? By the time that guy gets back we’ll already have set sail”

“Oh sure! I-“

Jester cut off, eyes wide and pointed to her own head. She tried to mouth something but Fjord couldn’t quite understand.

“ _Essek_ ” Beau whispered in his ear and he nodded, that made sense.

“Oh, we just got a message from the King about it! So yes we are going to go! Will you be there too? Do you need a ride?”

Fjord smirked, counting in his head. Essek would have gotten most of the message anyway. There was another pause as Essek must have been responding to her again.

“Okay! We’ll see you there! It’ll be so so much fun! We miss you!”

She paused again as the spell ended and turned to smile at them all

“Well, I guess we’re headed to Tal’Dorei then!”

The rest of the evening was spent making plans, they hadn’t packed any clothes that would work for Whitestone’s northern climate and certainly none that would be appropriate for a diplomatic mission. Jester and Molly were going to head into town in the morning and badger the local clothing shops into rushing orders for clothes. Fjord and Beau were going to talk to Orly and the crew to start getting the ship ready with everything they would need. Caduceus, Yasha and Nott had offered to go with Caleb to find any last minute “wizardy stuff” he needed, since they at least had some idea of where things were in town. 

They all curled up in Jesters room once they had changed into sleep clothes, the smell of salt water and sun still clinging to them as they settled in for the night.

“Who is Essek?” Caleb whispered as they turned down the lights

“Oh, you haven’t met him yet” Beau snickered “you two will get along great, he’s a giant nerd wizard too, from Xhorhas”

Caleb made a soft sound of understanding. It might be good for him, Fjord thought, to have another wizard around for a while. He and Beau seemed happy enough to talk history and lore, and Yasha shared his interest in stories and poetry, but none of them used magic like his. Essek was smart, and powerful, so they would either get on like a house on fire or they’d hate each other. 

Fjord went over the plans in his head again as the others drifted off around him. He was wiped out from the day at the beach, but this was a huge change of plans. 

“Time for thinking later captain”

Caleb’s whispered voice from in front of him was quiet enough that Fjord would have missed it if he had been sleeping, and he smiled. 

“Look who’s talkin’”

There was a shuffle, and then Fjord was staring into deep blue eyes as Caleb smirked at him. He was sure he would never really get over the way moonlight seemed to make his eyes glow. He would thank the Moonweaver, if he didn’t think it might offend the Wildmother.

“I am planning my shopping list for tomorrow; I have a particular spell I would like to do before we leave”

“Oh yeah?”

Caleb hummed and stifled a yawn, eyelids drooping.

“Go to sleep, I will tell you in the morning”

“Yes sir”

Fjord watched the wizard roll his eyes before closing them again and smiled. His own eyes felt heavy, and the soft sounds of his sleeping friends was finally enough to lull him to sleep.

Unfortunately for him, when morning did come around there wasn’t much time to talk. Breakfast was a rushed affair and then everyone split off to complete their respective tasks. It would take them two weeks to reach Whitestone by ship, and if they wanted to get there on time for the meeting they had to set sail as soon as possible. Fjord and Beau made their way down to the docks, and he could feel the excitement mounting with every step. Yes this was their first big mission since the peace talks, and yes it would probably end up being just as anti-climactic, _but_ it meant two weeks at sea, and getting to see Tal’Dorei for the first time. 

As they approached the Ball-Eater, Fjord heard the familiar sound of Orly’s pipes coming from the deck. They made their way on board, greeting the crew as they passed them, Beau shouting at Marius about if he had killed anyone yet. 

“Well… hello there Cap’n, First Mate Beau”

Orly’s slow drawl was warm as they walked up and Fjord couldn’t help but smile at the old tortle. 

“Mornin’ Orly! All well aboard?”

“Oh about as well as to be expected… crew is more’n ready to make sail o’course”

Fjord nodded “We are too, just sortin’ out some details ashore”

He explained the new mission, thanking Orly for waiting while they were in the area and going over the plan for the route. It took most of the morning for them to plan everything out and set a list of what supplies the ship would need. Orly seemed eager to get back on the open sea and Fjord couldn’t help but feel the same.

He would be a liar if he said that the thought of seeing Caleb’s reaction to not only _seeing_ the ocean but being _on_ the ocean wasn’t a part of why he was excited. The man had been so much more relaxed lately, and Fjord couldn’t help but think of the casual intimacy they had shared. Those soft touches to his arm as they talked, the way Caleb’s eyes shone in the firelight when they camped on the road… He had been revelling in it, even if he felt like maybe he shouldn’t.

They left the ship around midday, heading back towards the Chateau for a late lunch when Fjord got up the courage to voice his thoughts.

“So… Caleb”

Beau’s voice was teasing when she responded

“Yeah, what about him cap?”

Fjord rolled his eyes

“He mentioned that you talked a few nights back… about abuse and the like”

“Yeah, and?” she huffed and fidgeted with the strap for her staff “he's been having like... intrusive thoughts and shit, I was just trying to help”

Fjord felt himself soften, her tone was defensive, but he could see that she was worried about how the wizard had taken it. He hummed lightly

“Well, yeah, that’s fine and all… but apparently he didn’t know he was even being abused, and now he’s gonna have to sort through all that”

She laughed, but it was bitter and cold

“Yeah, that tracks for the Empire… don’t just fuck up the kids, make it so they don’t even _know_ they’re fucked”

“Pretty much yeah”

“I mean…” she paused, rubbing the back of her neck “we can help though, y’know? Like, we can’t _fix_ it obviously, but like… We’re all pretty fucked up, and we care about him so…”

He nodded along, of course they did.

“And like… well, we all know _you_ do”

Fjord paused, the change it tone was just obvious enough to make him look at her. She was eying him with pure ‘don’t start’ energy… but he cleared his throat anyway

“I… care about him as much as anyone”

“Uh-huh, sure cap. Keep telling yourself that like you _don’t_ take any chance to be next to him”

“Look I-“

She waved him off, continuing their walk towards the Chateau

“It’s fine, we get it, you’re trying not to scare him or whatever… just… I dunno man, I don’t think you see the way he looks at you when you’re not looking, and I feel like I’d be a shit first mate if I didn’t mention it”

They walked in silence for a while as Fjord tried to digest her words. Could it be true? Was there some insane chance that Caleb might actually feel something for him? It wasn’t until they were in sight of the Chateau that he found his voice again, trying to make himself sound as calm as possible

“How… how is it that he’s looking, according to you?”

He could hear her smirk as they entered the building

“Like you’re the only warm thing in a frozen wasteland, that’s how”

Fjord coughed and turned to look at her, only to see her smirk and tilt her head towards the bar. He followed the motion and felt the now familiar warmth in his chest as he caught sight of deep blue eyes watching him. He smiled and raised a hand in greeting, starting to walk forward as soon as Caleb smiled back. He couldn’t deny the way his shoulders relaxed as he got closer to the other man. Caleb held out a tankard of ale almost sheepishly, pale cheeks turning faintly pink as Fjord took the seat next to him.

“Is everything well with the crew?”

“Oh yeah, they’re excited to get sailing again”

“I can imagine they would be, do they stay docked while you are in the Empire?”

“Well…”

He was half-way through his explanation of what the crew got up to while they were gone, spurred on by the way Caleb leaned forward with his chin rested on his palm, attention sharp, when Cad slid two plates of food towards them. The conversation turned towards their up-coming trip while they all ate, and Beau double-checking with Caleb that he had all the “magic bits” he needed made Fjord look up again.

“Oh, you were gonna do some kind of spell before we leave yeah?”

Caleb’s eyes lit up as he smiled and nodded.

“ _Ja_ , I managed to find everything I need, but I will need an open space and an hour to cast it”

“An _hour_?” Beau asked, shocked “your other stuff is like… practically instant”

He nodded again “yes, but those have all been offensive spells, this one is not, but well, it is very useful anyway”

Beau hummed in response before going back to her meal. 

“You can totally use my room if you want Caleb! We can just move the rug so you can draw on the floor and then cover it back up after!”

“ _Danke_ Jester, that would be very helpful”

Fjord didn’t bother to fight the smile that formed on his face as Jester absolutely beamed at the wizard. Once they had finished eating, the group made their way upstairs to Jesters room. Fjord and Molly rolled up the rug and set it on the bed while Jester and Beau shuffled the furniture out of the way as well. Caleb took out charcoal and began drawing the large circle with complicated runes, a small copper brazier had been set in the center full of herbs with incense around it. Everyone but Caleb had perched themselves on various furniture to stay out of the way. He looked up when the drawing was done and stared at them all curiously

“I am afraid this will not be very interesting until the very end”

Molly shrugged “we don’t mind”

“Well… if you do leave try not to touch the charcoal please”

They all murmured their agreement and settled in to watch. Fjord could understand why Caleb had warned them that it might be boring, by twenty minutes in Molly, Beau, Jester and Nott had started a card game on the bed. Caduceus was watching the wizard calmly, but with a look in his eyes that made Fjord sure he was a thousand miles away. Yasha was watching the card game as well, amusement in her eyes. He couldn’t look away though, Caleb doing magic was always fascinating, even when it just meant 0sitting in a faintly glowing circle with the incense smoke wafting around him. 

Quite suddenly, as the hour came to a close, the circle glowed brighter than ever and there was an almost painful flash. Fjord covered his eyes on instinct, and when he opened them again Caleb was sitting in a slowly disappearing circle with a _hawk_ on his arm. He had his forehead pressed to the birds and was speaking in quiet Zemnian to it, a fond look on his face. 

“A… bird?”

Beaus voice broke the hush and Caleb looked up with a smile that warmed his entire face.

“This is Frumpkin, he is technically a Fae creature, and he is usually a cat… but I thought a bird would be more useful for scouting on the sea”

The bird looked over and Fjord blinked as faintly glowing eyes caught his, they were nothing like he had ever seen on a bird before. Jester cooed and walked over, holding out a hand tentatively.

“Can I pet him Caleb? He’s so _pretty,_ look at his eyes!”

“You can _ja_ , he is very friendly”

While Jester fussed over their new friend, Caleb looked up at Fjord.

“He is my oldest friend, and he is a very good scout” he paused, smiling as Frumpkin bopped his cheek with his head “I can speak to him telepathically and also transfer my senses to look through his eyes”

“That’s- well damn Cay, that’s mighty impressive”

His admiration must have broken through in his voice, because Caleb looked away and blushed faintly pink again. Fjord had meant it though, he had seen Caleb fight and buff the others plenty of times now, but this was something different. He had literally summoned a creature from another plane, who apparently considered him a friend? Everything Fjord knew about the Fae made that seem nearly impossible, but here was the proof. 

The others were voicing how impressed they were now too as Frumpkin hopped from person to person introducing himself. He got to Fjord last, landing lightly on his knee and looking up at him with those weirdly intelligent eyes. Fjord offered him a smile and held out his hand tentatively, only to receive a very light nip from the sharp beak. 

“Oh!”

Caleb laughed as he jumped slightly, unfolding himself from his spot on the floor and letting Frumpkin hop onto his forearm again. He held up a finger and made a chastising tutting sound at the bird, a mock-serious expression on his face

“Now now Frumpkin, that is not how we say hello to new friends is it?”

Frumpkin responded with a grumpy sounding squawk and a ruffling of his feathers, which just made Caleb chuckle

“Do not be like that _Kätzchen,_ you know you are my favourite”

He turned to look at Fjord apologetically now, and Fjord felt warmth spread through his chest at how the wizards expression softened.

“He is upset with me for not bringing him back sooner… I ah-“ he faltered slightly, breaking eye contact “I was not sure how you all would feel about him, Master Ikithon never… he did not approve”

“You should have said something Cay-leb!” Jester pouted walking over “he is _so_ cute and I bet he’s totally even cuter as a kitty! We wouldn’t have minded right Fjord?”

“Yeah, right _Fjord_?” Beau teased from behind Caleb

“’Course not, though I won’t be gettin’ too close myself once he’s a cat again” he tried for a teasing smirk “I’m allergic”

Caleb tilted his head and looked at him like he was ridiculous

“He is not a _real_ cat, he does not have dander”

“Hmmm, we’ll see about that”

The corner of Caleb’s lip twitched upward slightly, and Fjord counted that as a win. 

They dispersed then, Beau joining the others in continuing to harass the local tailors and collect whatever other little things they would want on board. Fjord knew that Orly and the crew would stock up on the necessities, but the Nine had little treats and comforts they liked to have. Nott and Beau would be sure to stock as much wine and ale (and probably whiskey, if they could find it) as they could reasonably “sneak” onto the ship, and Caduceus always liked to be sure they had a few new teas. Fjord wandered to his room, sorting through his pack and trying to decide what would be left here to make room for the new clothes. He found himself thinking of his conversation with Caleb on the beach. 

_“It was normal”_

What kind of person could so utterly warp a child that they wouldn’t even recognize their own abuse? Caleb had been six when he was “taken in” (kidnapped, in Fjord’s opinion) by the Academy, and he had already implied that he didn’t remember much about his family… Did he really not know that wasn’t how normal people were raised?

He sighed, picking up the pile of clothes that would stay here and heading for Jesters room. They had a trunk where they stored things to make travelling easier. He tucked everything away, closed the lid and stood to stretch. A flash of colour on the balcony drew his attention and he felt himself smiling again as he recognized Caleb standing out in the sun, apparently talking to Frumpkin who was perched on the railing. He walked forward, pulled by that same inescapable force that the other man seemed to have on him, and knocked lightly on the door as he opened it. Caleb looked over and smiled at him, raising a hand in greeting.

“Hope I’m not interrupting?”

“ _Nein_ , no of course not” he turned back towards Frumpkin “I was just catching Frumpkin up on all he has missed since we were last together”

“So he really can understand you?” Fjord could feel his curiosity rising as he stood next to Caleb at the railing

“Yes, he knows what I am saying and thanks to our telepathic connection he is very good with knowing my mood as well”

“And you understand him?”

“Well…” he waved his hand in a ‘sort of’ gesture “He does not speak in words, but I can get a sense of his intention through the same connection”

“That must be useful”

He hummed an affirmative “it is, Frumpkin was my only source of friendship or comfort for a very long time”

He said it casually, his tone soft and controlled, but Fjord saw the way Frumpkin stepped closer, rubbing his feathered head against Caleb’s arm in a gesture that was so catlike it was almost funny. Caleb responded with a smile, stroking along the top of the birds head with his thumb. They stood in a comfortable silence, looking out over the city of Nicodranas, watching the colourful figures move about below them. The wharf was visible here, the ocean an unending expanse of bright blue dotted with ships. Fjord was pretty sure he could see the Ball-Eater from here if he squinted a little, and that was a comfort to him. The warm salt scented air ruffled his hair in a familiar way, and he smiled, sending a little ‘hello’ out to the Wildmother. He would never be able to thank Caduceus enough for introducing him to his Goddess, she had brought such peace into his mind. 

Hells, he would never be able to thank _any_ of the Nine enough. He had been an angry, lonely man when they met, no family or friends to speak of, and now look at him. A Captain in his own right, a peace bringer, and most importantly… always surrounded by the most annoying and wonderful family anyone could ask for. 

Yes, life was good with the Nine.

“I would like to thank you again”

He looked over, a slight smile still on his face as he raised an eyebrow questioningly

“I have been thinking about what you said”

“You really do think too much”

“Impossible, but in any case… what you said on the beach, about taking things slowly in regards to- to my” he cut off for a moment, reaching out to pet Frumpkin again “to the way I was raised”

Fjord nodded, fighting the urge to put his hand on Caleb’s free one where it lay on the railing. 

“I have never had a group like this before… the other Volstrucker, we were raised together but... well, everything was a contest in one way or another. I think I did care for them, as much as I could but- but the Nine is”

He turned now and faced Fjord full on, a shaky smile on his face

“You all are wonderful, and absolutely ridiculous… and infuriating, but I find myself- well, happy”

Fjord smirked at that, joy filling him at Caleb’s words.

“Y’know, I was just thinkin’ something similar. They are annoying bastards aren’t they?”

“Yes, but we all are really” he reached over and tapped Fjord’s hand “and do not think I missed you excluding yourself from it _Captain_ , a leader takes responsibility for his crew”

“Hmm, so they say”

Frumpkin nipped Caleb’s ear lightly before taking off in a swish of colour, Fjord raised an eyebrow as Caleb rubbed his ear.

“He will be back, he has gone to explore a bit”

“Ah, got’cha”

The others eventually returned as the sun began to set. The clothing would be ready the day after next and then they could set off. They ate dinner in Jesters room, spread out on the floor while Marion told stories about what had been happening in the city since they had last visited. Fjord felt that same warm, drifting calm as he watched his family joke and laugh. Caleb was acting as headrest for a very tipsy Beau as she told a very energetic story and watching him try to dodge her flailing arms without dislodging her was hilarious. Fed, warm and sleepy they all curled up in the bed and on the floor again, Marion teased them about it as she left, calling them her ‘adopted kittens’ before wishing them good night. Fjord drifted off to the sounds of his friends breathing and the scent of salt and wildflowers from the open windows. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends, I've started the next chapter so have this one! It only gets MORE self-indulgent from here, so buckle up and prepare for too much fluff 💗💗 
> 
> This chapter ended up very Fjord -centric, but the next two will be a little more even I think.


	11. High Tides and Low Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nein are on their way! Next stop: Tal'Dorei.

The next day flew by in a blur of activity, between picking up clothes and final supplies and getting them onto the ship, they also tried to let Jester spend as much time as possible with her mother. They had planned to be here a week or more, and had only gotten just over 3 days after all… Caleb was amazed at how well Jester took the news, she was sad to leave her mother again but seemed _genuinely_ excited about starting what she called “a new adventure!”

Such a strange group.

Caleb tried to make himself as useful as possible, loading up cargo and following Beau around while she showed him where everything was. He had never been on a ship like this before, it seemed at once too large and too small to survive on the seemingly endless ocean. He understood the basic science behind it all of course, but it still seemed… impossible. Something so heavy and full of pounding feet and food and _cannons_ could sail through the fathomless blue water like it was nothing. 

He had to admit to a slight twinge of sadness at the sleeping arrangements. Nott preferred to sleep down with the cannons, Yasha, Beau and Jester took one of the rooms. Caduceus liked the hammocks where the other crew slept, as did Molly, and Fjord had the captains quarters. He had been offered the remaining room, it was small with just a single bed and a desk built into the wall. It would be odd to sleep alone again, but he wasn’t sure he would be able to sleep with the entire crew around him. He settled on the cabin room, tucking his pack away and taking a moment to breathe before they officially set off (there must be a word for that… he decided to ask Fjord later). There was a small porthole in the outer wall of the cabin, it offered a limited but still nice view of the waves. 

As he re-emerged on deck he was greeted by the sight of Fjord and an older tortle talking. Fjord looked over at him and smiled, beckoning him forward. Caleb followed the slight wave automatically, he knew it was not a matter of authority anymore… he would go wherever Fjord asked just because it was _Fjord_ who asked it. He smiled as he got to the men, feeling that now familiar warmth in his chest

“Captain?”

Fjord rolled his eyes “how many times-“

“We are on the ship now, that makes you the Captain”

He was only half teasing, he _had_ heard Beau and the others calling Fjord “captain” this morning, but the half-annoyed half-amused look was the main reason.

“Sure sure okay, Caleb, meet Orly. He’s our expert navigator and the acting captain when I’m… not…” he took in Caleb’s triumphant I-Told-You-So smile and smirked back “oh shush you”

“Well, I’ve heard all about you o’course” the tortles accent was thick and jovial, his speech slow in a comfortable way “Nice to fi’nly meet you Mister Caleb”

“And you as well, the others speak highly of you”

Orly chuckled “oh they’re a good group… strange mind you, but good folk”

“I have been known to say something similar myself”

Fjord cleared his throat, and Caleb’s eyes were pulled to him again. He watched the way Fjord’s expression softened when he smiled back, that warmth back in his chest as amber eyes met his. They stood that way for what was surely just a moment too long before the sound of a bell ringing made them both jump. Orly had walked away at some point, which Caleb hadn’t even noticed

_Allowing yourself to be distracted by this half-breed, you disgust me_

Caleb flinched but tried to push the voice out of his thoughts, smiling back at Fjord.

“I uh…” Fjord cleared his throat again “I wanted to show you something, now that we’re setting sail”

“Oh, certainly captain”

Fjord huffed and started to lead him towards the back of the ship (“the stern” he thought, thankful for Beau’s tour that morning). They climbed a few sets of short stairs until they reached the railing on the same platform as the wheel where Orly was standing. As they stood there, the ship began to move, pulling slowly away from the docks. The sight was amazing, watching the glittering city of Nicodranas shrink behind them. Caleb could have stood there until it was gone completely.

“The farthest I have ever been from the Empire” he heard himself whisper “It keeps changing”

“It’ll be changing for as long as we’re out here I guess”

He pulled his gaze, with some difficulty, from the horizon and smiled at Fjord. That thought would have terrified him before, the Empire and the Academy had been all he knew for so long. How things had changed since that muddy spring day so many months ago…

“I am glad of it”

Another of those seemingly eternal moments passed as they smiled at each other. Caleb knew his infatuation with the other man could go no where. No matter how kind Fjord was to him, or how his eyes seemed to warm when they looked into his… that was just how the captain was. He teased back and forth with the whole crew, even if he rarely initiated it himself. It had started soon into his living with the Nine, and honestly he couldn’t see how anyone would blame him. Fjord was kind, smart, handsome… and he made Caleb feel _safe_. That alone was such an unfamiliar feeling that it shocked him every time he noticed it. 

Even if it couldn’t amount to anything, he wasn’t hurting anyone by enjoying it right?

Thinking of Fjord, and the comfort that came with him, had him thinking of what was coming. There was a chance that the other Volstrucker would be at this meeting… if they occupied a similar position to him in their own new homes. Eodwulf would be glad of a chance to see the sun again, they had been taught that Xhorhas was kept under an eternal night. Caleb was fascinated by it, and the magic it must take to maintain. Astrid would be looking forward to meeting other people of power, she was easily the most ambitious of them. It was something Caleb had always admired in her, though he had lost that drive years ago. 

What would they think of him? Going around without his gloves or his uniform… would they still wear theirs? He had changed since joining the Nine, had seen a whole new world and thrown himself into it as well as he could. They would probably disapprove… if the voice in his head was anything to go off of, his master certainly would. 

If Ikithon did not like it, the Volstrucker would not. 

He frowned out at the still shrinking city, the contentment of moments before replaced by buzzing nerves. He jumped slightly when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, looking up to meet Fjords eyes again and finding concern there.

“Y’alright?”

He hummed noncommittally.

“I am- there is a chance the other Volstrucker will be at this negotiation”

“That’s true I suppose… you nervous about seeing them again?”

“I must admit that I am, well, yes”

“That makes sense, you- well, things have changed a lot in the last few months”

“They certainly have”

“Well just- whatever happens, we’ve got your back”

“Thank you Fjord, truly”

Fjord chuckled and smiled at him mischievously

“I’m Fjord again now?”

“I agreed to call you as much in private did I not?” Caleb winked with a boldness he hadn’t known was there “Well, this seems about as private as anywhere on a vessel like this”

To Caleb’s surprise, Fjord’s cheeks went a darker green under the early afternoon sun. He cleared his throat and looked back out over the ocean, leaving Caleb to stare in confusion at the side of his face. Not a bad view really… the captain had an excellent profile, how had he not noticed that before? He watched as Nicodranas faded into a grey smudge on the horizon, Fjord having been called away by the Beau. 

He wouldn’t be of much use on a ship… he had no idea what he could even help with. Caduceus would be working in the kitchen for the most part, maybe he could help out there. Or… well, he turned to watch Orly at the helm. Navigation might be something he could assist with, he had a natural sense of direction and plenty of practice reading maps. Admittedly, a map of the land was certain to be different to a map of the ocean, but he was a quick learner. He _had_ to be after all.

The next three days whipped by in a flurry of activity, Caleb learned quickly that nothing is ever truly calm on a ship. He wasn’t sleeping particularly well, and threw himself into learning as much as he could about the running of a ship like this. It turned out that he did have a knack for the navigation, and ended up spending much of his time in comfortable silence with Orly. Fjord had a strange habit of casting Water Breathing each night, which Beauregard said had something to do with a “Snea Snake” (whatever that was). Frumpkin was a big help, allowing them to scout ahead and keep and eye out for pirates or anyone else who might cause trouble. The crew had been confused at first by the skinny wizard and his oddly well trained hawk, but they had settled and now Caleb often caught them offering up little pieces of their dinner to the Fae creature.

He didn’t have the heart to tell them that Frumpkin didn’t need to eat.

By midday on the fourth day at sea, Caleb was exhausted. Sleeping in the room alone had proven just as strange and foreign as he had thought it might. Even the comfort Frumpkin brought was lessened by the fact that he couldn’t exactly curl up in bed like he usually would. He once again found himself on the prow of the ship, a cup of strong tea and a hearty sandwich on a handkerchief on the boards in front of him. He had taken to eating here, the fresh sea air helped him stay awake and he was reasonably out of the way of the others. 

“Well hello there Mister Caleb”

He looked up and smiled as Mollymauk swayed over, looking at home on the ship as only Molly could

“Mind if I join you?”

“Hiding from Beauregard again?”

“Pssh, not _hiding_ , more like…” he paused, sitting down across from Caleb with a shrug “okay, maybe hiding a little”

“You two are ridiculous”

“She loves me and everyone knows it”

“Mhmm, if you say so Mollymauk”

The tiefling chuckled before taking a bite of the apple he had apparently brought out with him. They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes, Caleb could feel the scarlet eyes on him. He finally gave in and looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow.

“No offence darling but you look _awful”_

“Thank you Mollymauk, you always know just what to say”

Mollymauk rolled his eyes, always a very dramatic expression while he made up for his lack of pupil. 

“I just mean that ships take getting used to, you should have _seen_ poor Caddy the first time, completely seasick poor thing”

“I have not been seasick, but I appreciate the concern”

“Maybe you haven’t been seasick, but you also haven’t been sleeping”

Caleb paused mid-sip of his tea. He often forgot how perceptive the usually jovial man could be… Mollymauk did an excellent job of convincing people he was just a silly, frivolous joker.

_And you are too distracted to even notice that much, you are a disappointment_

He sighed, shaking his head, which Mollymauk seemed to take as a response to his comment.

“Cad has sleep tea you know, that might help… or, if you want, you could always try rooming up with us”

“What makes you think that is the issue?”

Mollymauks smile was gentle when he responded “why do you think we all pile into shitty hammocks? It’s better than being separated”

Caleb thought about it, taking another bite of his sandwich while Mollymauk pulled out his cards and began to shuffle them. After a while, he picked his book back up and started to read, finishing his lunch but remaining in the comfortable spot. Orly wouldn’t begrudge him a little rest in the sun, the tortle didn’t seem to mind much of anything so long as the ship was well. There was a shuffling noise as Mollymauk shifted closer, the tip of his tail waving into view as it landed on his book. Caleb sighed and looked up, flicking the offending tail lightly.

“Let me read your cards, maybe they’ll have something to help”

He smirked slightly, the tiefling was well aware that he didn’t hold any real faith in the strange cards. Jester seemed to firmly believe that Molly could tell fortunes with them, but Caleb was certain it was just a hold over from his days in the circus. 

“I am reading”

“You’ve already read that book”

Caleb blinked, knowing his surprise must show on his face when the other man laughed full out.

“Oh c’mon now dear, you should know by now we pay attention to our favourite squishy wizard. Jester’s already planning your Winterscrest gift, she doesn’t want to buy you something you already have”

“She doesn’t need to-“

“Shush, she’s gonna anyway. Now sit quiet while I shuffle for you”

Caleb rolled his eyes, but he did as Mollymauk asked, watching in reluctant fascination as the manicured hands shuffled with a natural ease. After a few moments, he spread the deck in his hands and held it out, face down to Caleb.

“Pick three, one at a time, and set them down”

He sighed and rolled his eyes, but did as he was asked, genuine curiosity bubbling up in spite of himself. The first card came easily, and he set it face down on the deck. When he tried to pull the second card, two slid out instead.

“Oh, should I-“

Molly shook his head, looking intrigued “nope, put them next to each other and pick another. The cards have a message it seems”

He couldn’t help the amused smile that crossed his face as he set the rouge card next to the one he had taken, and pulled the third. It slid out of the line just as easily as the first one had. Mollymauk tucked the other cards into his pocket and flipped the first card over. It was upside down from Caleb’s perspective and it took him a moment to discern the design. A man, standing in a dark field with five deadly looking swords pointed at him. Caleb frowned slightly, even upside down that looked… uncomfortable. 

“Keep going dear”

He nodded, flipped the next card and felt himself frown again. A man in what looked like a jesters costume, hanging by his ankle from a rope. He kept going, dread settling in his stomach when the third card was flipped. It was a man with a ravens mask and a huge feathered mantle “Death” written in fine gold lettering underneath him. He caught Mollymauks eye but the other man just smiled encouragingly and nodded to the last card. He flipped it and felt his head tilt in confusion. This one showed two people, their gender hard to discern thanks to the long cloaks they wore, holding each other close. 

“Ooookay so, this isn’t as scary as it looks I swear”

Caleb glared as he heard the laughter in Mollymauks voice. A hanging man and a _death_ card and he was joking around. 

Not that Caleb believed in this stuff… but still, it seemed concerning.

“You’ve got the Five of Swords, reversed” he started, his showman’s voice back on “that’s internal struggles or conflict, you’re fighting with yourself on something, or dealing with issues of the mind”

He pointed to the next card “The Hanged Man, he’s all about letting go of your presumptions and looking at an issue from a new perspective. Then…” the pointed nail landed on the next card “Death. Don’t let his name fool you, death isn’t an omen or anything, he’s just adding on to the Hanged Man. Let go, allow for a new perspective and the death of a difficult problem.”

He smirked now, picking up the last card and handing it to Caleb, who took it gingerly.

“The Lovers, a personal favourite of mine. They’re telling you that if you can do what the other cards say, a beautiful future awaits you.” He paused a moment, sweeping the other cards back into his pocket “Love isn’t always romantic of course… they could be talking about family, or friends” he caught Caleb’s eye and winked “but I like to think romance is always in the cards, don’t you?”

Caleb stared at the card for a moment longer before clearing his throat and holding it back out.

“I- ah, I suppose so, in a perfect world”

Mollymauk scoffed “no such thing as a perfect world, that’s why we need to take what happiness we can” he took the card and smiled down at it “joy can fill an awful lot of a person’s life y’know”

Mollymauk eventually wandered off to pester Beau again, no longer fearing her wrath for whatever he had done earlier. Caleb spent the rest of the day helping out where he could, but his mind was not in it. The idea that someone like him could ever have something like _love_ , romantic or otherwise was… well, it was hard to consider. He knew the Nine cared about him (though he still had trouble understanding the why of it) and he cared about them (who wouldn’t?). But love? 

His eyes found Fjord through that day and the next, watching him stride up the ship like he had been born on it. Watching him take on the leadership role that Caleb had expected him to have from day one, and do it well. 

He stared up at the highest mast of the ship, the “main mast” as Beauregard had called it. It was nearly noon on their fourth day at sea, and she had sent a message through Frumpkin asking him to meet her up _there_.

It looked awfully high.

“Did the mast say something offensive there Cay?”

He hummed and turned to look at Fjord, for such a large man he certainly moved quietly on the ship. Or maybe the other noises simply covered his footsteps. 

“Beauregard has asked me to meet her up in the… the…” he paused, realizing he had forgotten the term in common “The- _wie heißt es…_ ” he grumbled to himself, waving a hand towards the basket at the top of the mast “birds nest?”

Fjord chuckled “close, crows nest”

He paused to mutter the name to himself, determined to remember it.

“Yes, that”

“Keep a good hold on the ladder and you’ll be fine” he smirked “it’s worth the climb”

And so, with a huff, Caleb began to climb. He had never been afraid of heights, but the way the mast seemed to sway as he got higher was disconcerting. He had his components on him, and knew he could catch himself if he fell, but it was one of the strangest sensations. When he finally reached the top, a tanned hand appeared in front of him, he looked up and returned the smile on Beauregard’s face, taking her hand gratefully. Once he was upright, and away from the hole where the ladder ended, she gave his hand a last squeeze and let him go.

“I’m glad you decided to give it a try, this is one of the coolest spots on the ship”

“If you say so, I suspect you just wanted to see me try to climb that ridiculous ladder”

She smirked at him “how’re your shoulders? Wait till you have to climb down after”

He rolled his eyes, this woman was ridiculous. She grabbed his sleeve and tugged him towards the side of the strange round structure. It was much larger than it had looked from the deck. She half-dragged him right up to the edge and smiled triumphantly at him. He raised an eyebrow at her and she huffed, rolling her eyes and pointing out over the side.

“ _Look_ for fucks- you know, for a genius you’re awful at context clues”

He stuck out his tongue and smirked before turning and looking out over the side.

It was _breathtaking_. 

There was nothing but bright blue rolling waves as far as the eye could see, the warm breeze that propelled them felt more pure this high up as it warmed his cheeks and scented everything with salt. The noon sun glinted off the waves, making the water look almost unreal, like a moving crystal, some kind of living sky. The only indication of a horizon was the light fluffy clouds that seems to sit on the water farther out, and Caleb knew he had never seen anything more amazing in his life. He suddenly felt very small, but in a comforting way. If something as huge and untameable as the ocean existed, who was he to complain about small human problems? 

He was brought back to himself by a fond chuckle and a warm arm thrown over his shoulders.

“Fucking amazing right?”

He took a deep breath, trying to bring himself back into the conversation fully as he nodded.

“Thank you, Beauregard”

She tugged affectionately on a loose lock of hair and he turned to glare, though there was no real venom in it.

“No biggie, don’t get all sentimental on me”

“I would not dream of it, let go of my hair”

She poked his cheek but did let go “bet you wouldn’t be saying that if I was _Fjord_ ” her voice was sing-song when she said his name.

“I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about”

He tried for nonchalant, but he knew he was blushing and just had to hope the remnants of his sun-burn would hide it. Beauregard hummed in response, but it didn’t sound like she believed him in the slightest.

“Whatever you say bro” she stretched “I’m done my watch anyway, Marius should be up in a bit” she grumbled something that sounded like “ _fucking Marius, useless”_ before clapping him on the shoulder hard enough that he jolted forward “we’re breaking into one of the rum barrels tonight, gonna have a little party, you should keep your nose out of the books long enough to join in yeah?”

“I will see what I can do”

She ruffled his hair, laughed when he glared at her, and began descending the latter. He turned back to the ocean and took a breath.

\----

The days on a ship go by quickly, and before Fjord knew it the sun was setting on their fourth day. Beau and Nott had been sneaking around ever since Beau had come down from the crows nest. He knew they were up to something, but it wasn’t until he left the galley to get some fresh air after dinner that he found out what. The music started as soon as he stepped out onto the deck, and he couldn’t help but laugh. They had pulled a barrel of rum from the hold up onto the deck, Nott and Molly were handing sturdy wooden tankards full out to everyone while Yasha, Orly and Marius picked up a tune.

“We havin’ a party?” he chuckled as he took the drink Molly held out to him

“Yup, we’ve decided that we deserve it” the tiefling said cheerfully

“For what? Not dying at sea for once?”

“Exactly!” Beau cheered, clunking her drink against his and taking a long swig. 

There was no dissuading them, he knew that already, and he had to admit that being on the ocean without having to fear Uk’otoa was a huge relief. He settled for rolling his eyes and settling down on a crate next to Nott. As the night wore on, the lanterns were lit and the drinks were flowing. It didn’t take long for the crew to start dancing, or what could pass for it anyway. It was nothing particularly co-ordinated, but everyone was smiling. He had laughed when Jester had grabbed their tipsy wizard and claimed him as a dance partner again. 

Fjord had never been much of a dancer, he had been dragged out on the floor at some of their more official events, but he usually preferred to watch instead. Seeing the group happy and safe, twirling and laughing in the warm light of the gas lanterns, was enough for him. The Nine knew that about him, and only Jester ever tried to get him out to dance. He would have to thank Caleb later for being such an excellent distraction for their energetic cleric. 

“I’m just _saying_ ” Nott continued, slurring slightly “black powder is cheap and we should have enough that I can mess- _experiment_ without causing a fuss!”

He sighed “and _I’m_ just saying that you shouldn’t be ‘experimenting’ on the ship at all” he pinched the bridge of his nose as she crossed her arms at him “if you blow a hole in it-“

“Fjord?”

He looked up and felt the tension release from his face instantly as he smiled at Caleb. At some point during the dancing his hair had come loose, and he hadn’t bothered to fix it, so now it hung wild around his face. He looked younger like this, his eyes bright and cheeks flushed, lips tilted up in a shy smile.

“What’s up Cay?”

“I was hoping you would dance with us”

Caleb held out a hand, still pale but far less so than it had been before a week in the sun, and a part of Fjord’s mind still reveled in the expanse of glove-free skin.

“I’m not much of a dancer”

“I do not believe that for a moment”

He couldn’t help the huffed out laugh at how confident Caleb sounded, it was such a nice change. He stood and took Caleb’s hand, smirking slightly

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong”

“You are always welcome to try _mein Kapitän_ ” he paused, tugging slightly at Fjords hand as they made their way to were the others were “though, it does not often happen”

“Oh-ho, gettin’ a little cocky there eh mister wizard?”

Caleb chuckled as he slid a hand onto Fjords shoulder, and Fjord found himself settling his free hand on Caleb’s waist. He tried to ignore the way the heat seemed to crawl up his arm, settling somewhere in his chest. The music had slowed slightly as the night had gone on, and Fjord found himself trying to focus in on the way Caleb moved his feet, trying to match up. Of course the man knew how to dance, what _didn’t_ he know how to do? Ridiculous wizard brain.

He tried not to jump when Caleb leaned in and spoke, his voice quiet.

“You are thinking far too much Captain”

Fjord looked back into those damned too-blue eyes and tried to smirk

“Oh?”

“ _Ja_ absolutely, you do not need to think to dance” the music picked up and Caleb’s expression brightened “it is one of the best parts of dancing”

Fjord, for all his lack of practice, found himself so caught up in the wizards’ enthusiasm that he just… stopped thinking about it. Before he knew what was happening, they were twirling around the makeshift dancefloor with the rest. The songs changed, but he barely noticed, too distracted by the warm hand in his. At some point, during a particularly daring spin, Caleb’s arms ended up around his neck while his slid down to grip the smaller man’s hips. The lantern light played havoc with Fjord’s chest as is seemed to dance in Caleb’s eyes. The music had slowed down, he looked up as he caught a flash of blue and brown and felt himself blush at the wolf-whistle he knew came from Beau. 

He looked back to Caleb and felt that familiar warmth in his chest, he leaned down and felt the warmth rise in Caleb’s cheeks as he got close enough to whisper.

“Want to see something amazing?”

He waited a moment, heart pounding, before he felt Caleb nod. He pulled back with difficulty, stopping their slow spin and holding out a hand. Caleb took it, looking down as Fjord laced their fingers together and tugged lightly. Ever since defeating Uk’otoa, he had made a habit of doing this when the mood struck. He led Caleb away from the crew, waving to Caduceus as they passed, and not stopping until they reached the bow. He climbed up onto the railing, letting go of Caleb’s hand to tug his shirt off and drop in on the deck. Caleb copied the movement, dropping his shirt on top of Fjords and looking up at him uncertainly. 

Fjord smiled and reached down

“Trust me?”

Caleb took his hand and smiled, and Fjord felt his stomach flip.

“Of course”

He helped Caleb get his balance on the thick railing, looking over at him and smiling.

“Count of three, we jump”

Caleb looked shocked for a moment, before he nodded and started to count.

“ _eins… zwei… drei!”_

They jumped. 

The water was cool at first as they crashed through it. Fjord took a deep breath as soon as they were under, allowing his Water Breathing spell to do it’s thing. He spun in the water, feeling a tug where their hands were still joined and he couldn’t help but laugh. Caleb’s eyes were _huge_ , shocked and just a little confused. He had either forgotten about the spell, or didn’t know it was still active. 

“Breathe darlin’” Fjord said encouragingly, tugging the ginger closer “just breathe”

Caleb stared for another moment before he closed his eyes and breathed in deep. Fjord was struck again by just how much things had changed between them. The trust Caleb was showing him right now, he never would have when they first met. The way-

_Oh._

Caleb had opened his eyes again, and Fjord’s heart felt like it was trying to jump out of his chest. There was no escaping that blue down here, the moonlight filtered through the waves and turned the water around them the same shade. His hair was still loose, floating around his head like a halo of fire… and the smile, oh that smile. 

“Fjord, _dies ist wunderschönen_ ” he looked away and Fjord followed the movement to watch a school of colourful fish dart by as Caleb laughed “ _erstaunlich_ ”

A hundred cheesy lines zipped through Fjord’s mind, but instead of letting any of them out, he just nodded. A teasing smile spread across Caleb’s face as he pulled himself closer in the water.

“Do you know what any of that meant, or are you agreeing on tone alone _Liebling_?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled

“Nah, just guessing…” he caught Caleb’s eye and smirked, drifting closer like he couldn’t stop it “you could tell me though… if you want”

Caleb’s other hand came up to rest on his shoulder again, the light tide shifting them in this slow dance.

“This is beautiful, amazing”

“You missed one”

“Did I?”

“You called me something”

Caleb blushed now, looking away until Fjord settled his free hand back on his hip, kicking slightly to spin them around again. He laughed, holding onto Fjord’s shoulder a bit tighter and then sighing in what could only be described as embarrassment.

“ _Liebling_ … it is like… favourite, or maybe darling?”

“Well, that wasn’t so hard was it?” Fjord pulled him close “I call you darlin’ all the time”

“You have called me that _once_ Fjord”

He shrugged, leaning in to press his forehead against Caleb’s

“Well, you would know” he paused, watching the way Caleb’s pupils dilated when he untangled their hands to push some of the wild red hair back “I can stop, if you like”

“ _Nein_ … no” Caleb’s voice was breathy as his now free hand landed on Fjord’s chest “I… I think I rather like it”

“Yeah?”

“ _Ja_ ”

By the time his brain caught up with his body, he had already closed the gap between them. Caleb’s arms slid around his neck as he tangled his hand into the mess of red hair. He felt Caleb’s lips part under his with a soft sigh and pulled him forward so they were flush against each other, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. It was… wonderful, the way they seemed to fit together, the feeling of Caleb’s lightly calloused fingers pressed into the close-cropped hair at the base of his neck. Fjord couldn’t think of any place on Exandria he would rather be as they broke apart for air, foreheads pressed together again. 

“Fjord!” he managed not to jump when Jester’s voice broke into his mind, but just barely “where are you? We can’t find you! We can’t find Caleb either! Are you with him? Oh! Oh my gods are you guys having-“

The spell cut her off and he sighed, Caleb was looking at him curiously now as he waited for the spell to fizzle out.

“Jester” he said shrugging “I guess they’re looking for us on board”

Understanding flooded Caleb’s expression, he opened his mouth to speak but paused and blinked, moving one hand to point at his head. Fjord couldn’t fight the chuckle as Caleb’s cheeks went from the sweet pink they had been to a red so bright it nearly matched his hair. 

“J-jester, hallo, yes I am with Fjord but _no_ we are not… we are fine, we will be back soon”

They waited until the spell was over again and Caleb sighed, dropping his forehead to Fjords shoulder. Fjord ran his hand through Caleb’s hair as well as he could with the tide pushing it around. They stayed that way for a few minutes more, before Caleb leaned back and looked up at Fjord apologetically

“I guess… we ought to go back before they get truly worried”

“I’m surprised they noticed” Fjord smirked “with how much they were drinking”

Caleb shrugged now, before giving him a tentative smile and pulling him in for a chaste kiss. 

“We should continue this later _ja_? After you tell me how we get back on the ship”

Fjord felt the fluttering in his chest again, he hadn’t exactly been planning this, but now that it had happened the idea that Caleb wanted to do it again…

He smiled, nodded and (reluctantly) pulled away. He took Caleb’s hand again and tugged him up towards the surface. They were faced with the stern of the ship, which was just fine for what he was planning.

“See that rope?”

Caleb looked up, searching then nodded in understanding. With a quick movement of his hand and a muttered phrase, the amber mage hand floated up, grabbed the rope and pulled. It took a few minutes, but soon enough they were standing on the small section of deck that ran along the side of the captains quarters. Caleb leaned against the wall, breathing deep, head tossed back with one hand on his chest.

“I should have taken Beauregard up on her training sessions I think, rope climbing is much more rigorous than I remembered”

Fjord just smiled, stepping towards him slowly. They should go find the others, let them know they were okay. He could still hear faint sounds of music from the other end of the ship, and see the lantern light. 

They _should_ go find the others…

He slid his hand through Caleb’s hair again, leaning in to press a kiss to his neck just below his ear. He was rewarded with a soft gasp and hands on his chest. 

“We oughta go get some dry clothes, don’t you think Cay?”

“You are a horrible man, an absolute brute”

Fjord huffed out a laugh at how breathless he sounded, even trying to argue. He pulled away, taking Caleb’s hand, and tugging him back towards the door to his quarters. It took him a moment to change into dry clothes, and he couldn’t fight the warm glow that filled him when he saw that Caleb had waited just outside the door. They made it down a level to where the officers’ cabins were, and Fjord waited while Caleb changed. Once the door opened again, he smiled, Caleb was standing there in the door, smiling sheepishly at him. 

“Perhaps we should talk before we go back?”

Fjord nodded and stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO HEY THAT HAPPENED.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed this instalment of fluff and pining! And kisses!   
> I have the next few chapters planned out, though only a bit of it written. Hopefully, it won't take to long for the next update lol  
> Thanks as always for sticking with me!


	12. Sailing and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sailing is exciting, secrets are scary, the M9 are ridiculous. 
> 
> Next Stop: Whitestone!

Caleb stepped back as Fjord entered the room, watching as he shut the door quietly behind himself. He couldn’t help the way his eyes lingered on the line of Fjords jaw, or the way his hands never seemed to still once they left the doorknob. Caleb smiled, trying to look reassuring despite the way his heart was going rabbit-fast in his chest. He had kissed Fjord… or Fjord had kissed him? Who had initiated it was still unclear, even with his perfect memory. He had _definitely_ kissed Fjord the second time though, when had he gotten so bold? 

Fjord cleared his throat, stepping closer and smiling back at him.

“So… that happened”

“ _Ja_ , it certainly did”

Fjord was right in front of him now, and Caleb could see where the sea water still clung to his hair in little drops, and the way his cheeks burned darker than the rest of his face. Caleb was seized by the desire to reach out and touch, and for once he didn’t fight it. He pressed his palm to Fjord’s jaw, swiping his thumb from the corner of his lips up his cheekbone. He could feel the slight heat from the blush and felt himself relax. Fjord was just as uncertain as he was it seemed, somehow that made him feel better.

Fjord leaned into the touch, turning slightly to kiss the palm that held him before speaking, his voice slightly muffled.

“I ah… I’m not too good at this sort of thing”

“I would have to disagree, I think you were very good”

Fjord chuckled, and Caleb’s smile grew. He really did adore that laugh.

“I mean more the… the discussing of things, the talking part”

“I am not particularly good at it myself”

“Quite a pair huh?”

Caleb rolled his eyes fondly, Fjord was right, they made quite the pair. Quite the awkward, emotionally stunted, pair. 

“I’ll just-just be straight with you”

“That is rather unfortunate, I was hoping that we would do the opposite”

It was Fjord’s turn to roll his eyes now, before he leaned in and silenced him with a kiss. They lost a few minutes to that kiss, Fjords hand pressed to the side of his neck. When they broke apart, Caleb was breathless and Fjord was smirking.

“Done being a menace?”

Caleb could only nod, his head spinning slightly from the air loss.

“What I was _trying_ to say, was that I want to keep doing this. If you’re amenable”

“Yes, I was hoping you would say that but-” Caleb paused, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth and trying to ignore the way Fjords eyes moved there immediately “I worry that it may prove to be a… distraction, for us and the team?”

“I suppose that’s possible” Fjord shrugged “we could always keep it on the down low until the mission is over?”

Caleb thought it over, he didn’t want to distract the team, and he definitely didn’t want to deal with the fallout of Master Ikithon finding out he was… what? Fraternizing with the Mighty Nine’s supposed leader? Perhaps discretion was best, at least for now.

Caleb wasn’t sure how to respond, so he slid his arms up around Fjord’s neck and nodded, smiling tentatively. Fjord ran a hand through his hair, before leaning in for another kiss. This kiss was soft, tentative, like Fjord still wasn’t sure how Caleb was going to react. He pressed closer, parting his lips and cupping the back of Fjords neck. 

Fjord responded instantly, his hands falling to Caleb’s hips and squeezing as he nipped the wizards' bottom lip. Caleb gasped as the half orc licked into his mouth and tightened his grip on the back of the other mans neck. Fjord growled softly in response, gripping Caleb’s hips tighter and spinning them around, dropping onto the bed so that Caleb was straddling his lap. He broke the kiss to drag his teeth along the column of Caleb’s throat, and Caleb couldn’t hold back a soft moan. 

“Dammit Cay” Fjords voice was rough against his skin “you’re just... _fuck”_

One hand slid down to grip Fjords shoulder as he tugged lightly with the one on the back of his neck, whining softly when Fjord chuckled against his neck and moved _far_ too slowly back to his lips. When he finally kissed Caleb again it was rougher, more desperate.

Gods, he had wanted this for so long.

_A half-breed. You disgust me._

Caleb growled as the awful voice cut through the buzz in his head, rolling his hips against Fjords lap and reveling in the responding feeling the half orcs blunted claws digging into his skin. 

_You have no standards, he is a distraction from your work_

_“oh fuck **off”**_ Caleb thought, dragging his nails down the back of Fjords neck causing the other man to moan. The sound was wonderful, grounding.

There was a moment of blissful buzzing silence in his head as he pressed closer to Fjord, before Caleb felt his spine seize up as the electricity jolted through him. The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced, it was all encompassing, there was nothing else in the world but pain. Someone was screaming

Was it him?

He couldn't find it in himself to stop.

And then... Just as quickly as it had started... It was gone. He fell forward, his hair was stuck to his brow, hanging in his eyes but he had no energy to move it. His body felt boneless in the worst way as he laid all his weight on Fjord, panting and nauseous. Fjord was panicked, Caleb could hear his heartbeat rabbiting behind the sturdy chest.

"Caleb??" The panic in his voice made Caleb want to get up, but he couldn't "Cay?? Darlin' you gotta talk to me"

Strong hands took hold of his shoulders and pulled him away from the warm chest. He whined at the movement but focused as much as he could on holding his head up while Fjord balanced him upright, slowly turning him so he sat sideways in the larger man's lap rather than straddling him. 

"Cay? What in all the hells happened?"

Caleb’s brain was still fuzzy... But he tried his best to answer

"Told 'im to fuck off... _er mochte es nicht_ " That should be interesting, and scary, but the brain fuzz just made it annoying.

"Told who-" but before Fjord could finish his question the door to the room slammed open. 

Standing in the doorway way was Yasha, one hand in her sword with Nott standing between her legs, crossbow loaded and aimed into the room. He could hear Beau behind them, drunkenly cursing the narrow halls of the ship

"WHAT HAPPENED" screeched Nott "WHOS ATTACKING MY BOY?!"

Caleb watched foggily as they all froze and took in the scene. Fjord sitting on the edge of the bed with Caleb curled up in his lap.

"Fjord... what-?" Yasha started but Fjord jumped in

"We were talking, and he suddenly started seizing up and screaming" the horror in Fjords voice was painful, Caleb didn't like it _at all_ and reached up to press a palm to the sharp orcish cheekbone. Fjord continued

"It was like he was being electrocuted, I didn't want him to hit his head or something so ..." He indicated their current position and it dawned on Caleb that this was not how he usually sat with the other man, though he couldn’t think of why.

"Then Caleb said something about... Telling someone to fuck off?" Now he looked at Caleb again, Caleb couldn't help noticing again how pretty and golden Fjords eyes looked in the faint light of the cabins lantern. Fjord raised an eyebrow and he remembered he was supposed to be talking

"I told Master Ikithon to fuck off... He was being very… _unhöflich_ " he could hear himself drifting... Oh sleep would be so nice... Fjord was so warm, and he smelled like salt and sun and comfort...

That was the last thing he thought before the darkness took him.

\----

Fjord watched as the deep blue eyes slid closed, panic constricted his chest for a moment before he realized the wizard was just sleeping, not dead 

Not Dead

But talking to someone in his head?

He looked at the others, trying to see if any of them had any ideas. 

“Lay him down on the bed, we can make sure there’s no injuries” Yasha suggested softly

Fjord nodded, lifting Caleb up and letting Nott pull back the sheets so he could lay the other man out. He looked calm now, the furrow in his brow was gone and if he hadn’t just _watched_ Caleb go through… whatever the fuck just happened, he would never have guessed anything was wrong. 

What the in the _hells_ had just happened?

One minute, things had been going fine, great even (yeah, definitely great), then suddenly… Fjord shook his head, trying to dispel the image of Caleb with his limbs locked in place, screaming. More nightmare fuel, he supposed. For now, all they could do was wait and hope that he was able to explain better when he woke up. Jester went back out on deck to let the others know what had happened and came back with drinks and some food for them. 

With nothing left to try, they all settled in to wait.

\----

Caleb woke to the sound of soft voices and a splitting headache. He couldn't hold back the groan of pain as his conscious mind caught up to him and he realized that it wasn't just his head. His whole body _ached_ , every muscle stiff and angry. There was a shuffle as he pried open his eyes, briefly shocked to see everyone but Caduceus had squeezed into the small ship cabin. They all wore looks of concern, Fjord reaching out when he started trying to sit up, offering a supportive hand on his back. The half orc handed him a mug of water, amber eyes searching his face as the panic started to build in Caleb’s chest. 

He had told Master Ikithon to fuck off... his master had _heard him,_ had been listening in for gods knew how long. Probably since day one, he took a sip of the water, but it did nothing to calm him.

“I did not know, I swear I did not" he could feel the panic threatening and fought it down, even as his hands shook so violently that he had to put down his water. They were going to send him back, he was a dangerous liability now. They would send him back to a Master he had just sworn at, a Master who had found a way to nearly kill him from thousands of miles away. They would send him back to a world of pain and fear and darkness. A world away from the warmth and kindness he had grown so comfortable with since joining the Nine.

He had seen the sun and now they would send him away.

His fear must have shown on his face because Jester sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, making quiet shushing noises as she did

"It's okay Caleb, no one is mad at you, we promise" she squeezed him gently "we just want to figure out how to help"

The tears fell then, more relief than sadness as he watched the others dawning understanding and immediate agreement. 

"When did he start talking to you?" Asked Beau

"From the beginning... His voice has been there for years" Caleb hated how shaky and small his voice sounded, but he kept going, looking directly at Beau "I thought they were just... Intrusive thoughts"

Comprehension showed in her eyes now, her jaw set firmly.

"So you just ignored them"

He nodded "as much as I could... I did not know it was actually _him_ " this point felt very important to reiterate.

He had not been spying on purpose.

He did not want to betray them.

Really, truly he did not.

"I'm just trying to figure out how he managed it... Big spells like that need a focus usually" Jesters voice was thoughtful.

A focus...

Something long range, something he could be connected to that Caleb wouldn't even question...

It hit him then and he jumped, smacking himself in the forehead.

Jester jumped back slightly, letting him go. They were all watching with confused and shocked faces. He didn't stop to think, he just reached back and pulled his tunic off in one fluid motion. He twisted so his back was facing them, craning his neck to try and look over his shoulder at Jester. She had hopped off the bed and was staring back, the dawning comprehension on her face meant he was right.

"It's some kind of arcane sigil..." She said, she caught his eye "do you know what it does?"

He shook his head

"I do not even know what it looks like, I have had it since I was 9"

The collective intake of breath made him flush, he had never questioned the brand. He knew the other students had one too, but they were forbidden from discussing or even _looking_ at them. Now he knew why.

"He must have known we would be able to read them eventually..." He said quietly, his head falling forward to press against the wall of the cabin "that is why we were not allowed to see..."

Gods.

His life was a fucking mess.

Jester hummed thoughtfully, tapping her finger on her chin.

“The easiest way to end a spell like that would be to break the connection… like if you destroy the focus or-“

“No.” Fjord’s voice was full of a cold anger Caleb had never heard there before “there’s no way in the nine hells we’re doing that”

She blinked at him in shock for a moment before glaring “I was just _saying_ -“

The discussion about what to do was brought to a swift halt as Beau held up a hand. 

"No offense Caleb, but I don't think you should be here for this"

He stared at her, and he knew the rejection, dismissal and acceptance that flew through his mind must have shown because her expression softened. She stepped over and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, he tried not to flinch.

"Not because we don't trust you, I just don't want _him_ listening in" of course, he realized sadly, he was a liability now "I don't want him hurting you again and if he hears something he doesn't like"

His head snapped up in shock to see the warm look she gave him.

Beau trusted him. She cared about him... Didn't want him hurt.

Oh Gods. He really couldn't leave.

He also couldn't speak, so he just nodded, trying to put all his gratefulness into the look he sent back. 

Six long days dragged passed. 

More specifically: he had been _stuck_ _in this room_ for SIX days. By his calculations, they were only a day or so out of Tal’Dorei now. What would happen when they arrived? Would he be locked away in a room somewhere, deemed unsafe to have at these important talks? The others dropped by when they could, they still had a ship to run after all, but otherwise he was entirely alone. He had given Frumpkin to Nott to look after, he could not bear the idea of locking his friend up again so soon. With only the small porthole to see outside. It didn't even open to let in a breeze. He was getting desperate. Fjord came by every day, either right in the morning for breakfast before he went to sleep off the night shift, or for a late dinner after he finished a day shift. 

The others were trying to find a way to deal with it, a way to nullify the spell or at least block its effects. They had found nothing, and he didn't have access to the library in order to assist. So, he sat, and stared, and thought. The thoughts were the worst part, he couldn’t tell anymore which biting insults were his own mind and which were actually his Master

“Former Master” he thought bitterly, he would rather die than go back there

_You would be nothing without me, ungrateful brat_

  1. So, he was listening



_I am always listening. I know all_

“you are a mortal man, just like me” Caleb didn’t know where this bravery came from, he was just so **sick** of being trapped here, of being afraid.

_You will never be free of me_

That brought him back to the original conversation. The simplest way to end the spell and free him of his former master’s grip. Break the focus.

They would never do it, not after Fjord had gotten so clearly enraged at the suggestion.

They could not cause him pain, but he did not care about himself _nearly_ as much as they did.

Not pausing to think any farther (lest he talk himself out of it), he jumped up and dug through his pack, left untouched since the first day of their long journey.

“Ah-ha!” he called in triumph as his hand landed on the hilt of the blade. It was about the length of his forearm and fairly flat. It would be perfect. 

The voice seemed to jeer:

_You will not do this, you are weak, a coward_

And perhaps he was, but he was also stubborn and so, _so_ sick of staring at these damned walls.

He wanted- no, _needed-_ to see the sun again, to smell that sea-salt air and feel the wind on his face. 

He needed to sit with Yasha and talk about the stars, to sing horrible sailing songs with Beau, to explore the hidden spaces of the ship with Nott... He needed to enjoy the steam and smells of the galley with Cad and bake with Jester.

And Fjord...

He needed Fjord.

He could feel the cold detachment that had been so well trained into him during his time with Ikithon, now he would use it against him. He pulled off his tunic and laid down flat on his stomach on the bed. No need to risk hitting the floor when he eventually passed out. That was inevitable, a head injury was not. He placed the cold metal of the blade against his spine, directly over where he knew the branded sigil to be. He as an afterthought he pulled his book holster over, placing the leather between his teeth. He took a deep breathe through his nose and started to cast. 

\----

It was a gorgeous day, Fjord stood at the bow of the ship, looking out over the horizon. The water sparkled under the mid-morning sun, the colour reminding him of Caleb’s eyes whenever the sun hit them just right. 

He sighed

Caleb. Caleb who was stuck in a tiny cabin, mostly alone, probably having to listen to that **bastards'** voice play through his head. Fjord felt guilty, like he should have argued harder for the other man. He had tried, pointing out to the others that as long as Caleb wasn’t part of any planning or navigation, there was no harm in him being out with the others. He had been argued down though. Beau and Yasha pointing out that _any_ information was dangerous in the hands of… he didn’t even want to think the name. It felt like a curse. 

He pushed off the railing, rolling his shoulders and stretching out the muscles there. He was off shift now, he would go grab some early lunch. He would take some to Caleb, give him some company… maybe finally finish their talk about the other day. The beast in Caleb’s mind already knew about that… and he hadn’t been able to figure out a way to discuss it with Caleb. They needed to go over boundaries and decide how far the act of keeping it quiet needed to go.

He got to the kitchen and smiled at Caduceus, who was just finishing up some tasty smelling stew. 

“Going to take some to Mister Caleb?” Caduceus asked in his calm way as he ladled out two bowls and sets them on a tray with cutlery.

Fjord nodded, taking the tray with a word of thanks

“That’s good, he needs the company I think… you know how that mind of his can wander if he’s left alone too long”

Well… that sounded ominous, but Fjord just nodded and walked out, Caddy always had a weird way of putting things. 

He hummed lightly as he walked towards Caleb’s room, a sea shanty he could only half remember the words to. The tune played in his head occasionally though, he didn’t mind it. He paused a few doors down from Caleb’s, there was an odd smell. It was familiar in the way it turned his stomach… but he couldn’t quite…

Oh. Oh fuck.

Burning flesh.

The tray clattered to the floor as he ran the last few feet, ripping Caleb’s door open and stepping into the room. The sight that met him he knew was one that would haunt him, a new addition to his list of nightmares. 

There on the bed lay Caleb, shirtless and _far_ too pale. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was erratic at best. He had the leather strap of his book holsters gripped in his mouth and it looked like he had nearly bitten through it. The worst part, part that made him gag, was his back. The dagger had fallen to the side, still loosely held in his hand, probably when he had passed out. There was a _hole_ in the shape of the blade, the cauterized skin and muscle was an angry red, swollen from the abuse. Fjord felt bile rise in his throat as he realized he could see bone. 

He screamed, _roared_ for Jester, Caduceus, **_anyone_**. 

He stumbled forward and dropped to his knees next to the bed, hands trying to find _somewhere_ safe to sit as panic filled his head. He reached out and finally laid one on Caleb’s cheek. It was cool in that clammy sickness way, and Gods if the freckles stood out stark against the pallor. He was breathing, that was something, something for Fjords frantic brain to hold onto

“Caleb? Cay??” his voice was rough from his shouting mere seconds before (had it only been seconds? He couldn’t tell) “darlin’ please”

He didn’t know what he was asking for, some form of recognition? A sign of life other that the shallow, shaking breaths? Something, anything.

He barely registered the others running in, barely heard Jesters scream and Beau’s cursing. The sound of Yasha dropping to her knees. 

He whipped his head around, catching Jester and Caduceus's eyes.

“He’s alive” he croaked “please… do- do _something_ ”

They both sprang into action, crowding around the bed. Jester gagged at the sight of the wound before placing her hands gently on the red, angry skin around it. Caleb twitched, and Fjord heard himself shushing the unconscious wizard quietly, even though he was fairly certain the other man couldn’t hear him. He pushed a strand of sweat slicked red hair back behind his ear, watching the pale face for any sign of pain while Jesters magic glowed in his periphery. She stepped back after a few moments and Caduceus took her place, his magic was a deeper, more verdant green. 

The others were silent, he could have sworn they were holding their breath, waiting to see what could be done. 

“There we go” said Caduceus quietly, stepping back as well.

Fjord forced himself to look, terrified of what he might see but _needing_ to know. He felt some of the tension leave his shoulders as soon as he caught sight of the now smooth skin. There was a pale pink patch in the shape of the daggers blade, it would definitely be a scar. But Caleb’s back was whole, and his mind registered suddenly… no more brand.

He felt the others release a collective breath as Caleb’s own breathing seemed to even out. Fjord reached out, taking the leather strap from between his teeth as gently as possible and setting it on the bedside table.

“He should be just fine now” said Caduceus, placing a warm hand on Fjords shoulder

“Yeah, we did a _super_ good job healing him… but I’m definitely going to tell him off when he wakes up” came Jesters voice from behind him “and now I’m _starving_ , and going to get lunch, c'mon Beau”

He listened as the others filed out, Nott patting his arm as she left with a whispered promise to bring some food by in a bit. He nodded, not taking his eyes off Caleb’s back as it rose and fell rhythmically. The room was quiet then, he assumed they had all left. He went back to carding his fingers through the messy auburn hair, gently undoing any tangles he found. He was startled when someone sat down on the floor next to him.

“He’s going to be okay” ah, Yasha, that made sense.

He sighed and turned to look into her mismatched eyes, finding only concern there. 

“I know… you’re right it’s just…” he paused, unsure before giving in “I knew he was miserable in here; I knew he hated being isolated from us… I should have _been_ here; I should have protected him”

Yasha raised an eyebrow, a gentle question written on her face

“I’m his Captain” Fjord started, Yasha narrowed her eyes and he sighed “I’m his friend” he amended before rushing forward, the words wanting out now that he had someone to tell them to.

“I care about him... I want him safe. He’s been through so much _shit_ in his life and …” he felt the heat rise in his face “I just want him to be happy Yash” _Happy with me_ said a quiet voice in his mind.

Yasha nodded, patting him on the shoulder “we all do Fjord, we’ll be here when he’s ready”

With that, she stood up and walked out, leaving him alone on the floor next to the now peacefully sleeping wizard.

\----

Caleb opened his eyes with a groan, his neck and shoulders had never felt this stiff, even after training with the other Volstrucker. The light was too bright, it burned his eyes and he shut them immediately, turning his head away from the window. What in all the hells had he been doing to end up this sore? It didn’t-

Oh, oh right.

He reached back tentatively, pressing his fingers to the skin at the back of his neck. He let out a hiss of pain as he pressed too hard on the delicate new skin. 

“Cay?”

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of Fjord’s sleep rough voice

“Are you awake? Here, let me...” there was a shuffle, and the light in the room dimmed as (he assumed) Fjord pulled the small curtain over the window. He let out a sigh of relief and turned to face the other man, watching as he came to kneel next to the bed. 

Fjord looked worried, his brow furrowed and a small frown tugging the corners of his lips. He reached out tentatively and swiped a calloused thumb across Caleb’s cheek. Caleb felt the tension release from his jaw at the touch, he caught Fjords hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. 

“Is it gone?” his own voice sounded awful, scratchy and raw, and he winced again. 

Fjord nodded slowly, before sighing “Caleb... you really shouldn’t-”

“No.” Caleb blushed at the look of shock on Fjord’s face “do not tell me I should not have done it, I _had_ to do it, I had to get him out of my head Fjord”

The amber eyes studied him for a long moment before Fjord sighed, scrubbing his free hand over his face. Caleb felt the corners of his lips twitch in an attempt at a smile, he had won and he knew it. 

His throat demanded his attention then, the cause of his awful voice becoming obvious. He sighed and tried to sit up, pushing himself onto his elbows and gasping as his shoulders burned. Fjord swore and reached out to steady him, helping him get into a sitting position. Once he was up the burning subsided, but he was not looking forward to anything that involved his arms. Fjord seemed to read his mind again as he poured a cup of water from the jug on the desk and handed it over. 

“Are you alright? Does it feel like the skin tore at all?” Fjord’s eyes were roving over him, searching for any sign of injury and Caleb was certain he was waiting for permission to inspect his back. He blushed into his mug before looking up and clearing his throat.

“I do not think so, but it is hard to tell...”

Fjord stood, climbing as gently as he could onto the bed and settling behind Caleb. The soft brush of his hands across Caleb’s aching shoulders was wonderful, and Caleb sighed. Fjord brushed his hair out of the way, tucking it over his shoulders and started gently probing around the sensitive new skin. Caleb winced slightly as Fjords fingers found a particularly sensitive spot.

“Ah... sorry I just-” he paused, hands stilling “this is where it was, the burn was... it was worst here”

Caleb felt a stab of guilt, imagining the kind of scene Fjord must have found when he entered the room. Caleb had no doubt in his mind that it was Fjord who found him, the universe wouldn’t spare him that. 

“I-I am sorry Fjord... it was certainly a gruesome way to fix the problem but...”

“Don’t apologize Cay, I understand”

Of course he understood, Fjord always understood doing what you had to. Caleb felt Fjord lean in, warm breath soft against the back of his neck for only a few seconds before it was replaced by chapped lips. A feather light kiss that pulled another contented sigh from Caleb before he could stop it, his head tilting to the side to expose more of his neck. Gods he hoped he would never get over the feeling of Fjord’s lips on his skin. 

Fjord huffed out a laugh at his reaction, pressing another soft kiss to his skin before mumbling against it

“Drink your water darlin’”

And oh, if _that_ didn’t just set off the fluttery feeling in Caleb’s chest. “ _Darlin’”_ as if it was the most natural endearment in the world for him. He did drink the water though; it felt wonderful against his dry throat. Caleb tried to concentrate on sipping slowly, he didn’t want to upset his stomach on top of everything else. Reveling in the fact that he was _free_ of Ikithons spying for the first time since he was a child. Fjord continued to kiss the new skin along the back of his neck and between his shoulders, moving slowly with his hands rested on Caleb’s hips, thumbs making gentle circles in the skin there. 

“H-how long until we reach Tal’Dorei?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the gentle brush of skin above his waistband. 

Fjord hummed, thinking “Orly says we’re still about a day out, if you’re feeling up to it you should be able to see it on the horizon”

Caleb felt a shock of realization at his words

“Oh! I can go back on deck now”

Fjord chuckled “that’s right darlin’, fancy a walk?”

Caleb hesitated a moment, he was so comfortable, here in their little bubble with Fjords hands (and lips) on him... But he hadn’t had fresh air in a week now, and his heart hammered at the thought of seeing the sky again. 

“Yes, let me up so I can get a shirt”

Fjord sighed dramatically, pressing one last lingering kiss to the spot where his brand had been before letting him go. Caleb stood, stretching as much as he could without causing himself pain, and turned to look at the man on his bed. Fjord looked back at him, cheeks dark and pupils wider than usual, with a little smile playing around the corners of his mouth. Caleb couldn’t help the fond smile that spread across his own face

“ _hallo”_

Fjord stood, resting his hands on Caleb’s hips again and smiling down at him “hey there”

Caleb pressed his hands against Fjords chest, he would have gone for the broad shoulders he was so fond of, but the stretch had him worried about his shoulders. He stared up into the amber eyes again and smiled.

“Caleb... could I-” Fjord leaned down, pausing a breath away from his lips, eyes searching his. 

Caleb’s response came out as a sigh “ _Fjord_ , you do not need to ask _”_

\----

They eventually made it on deck, and if Caleb’s tunic was tied a little closer that usual well… Fjord wasn’t going to bring it up. He paused at the door to allow Caleb to adjust to the bright sunlight, before tugging him along to where he thought the others might be. Sure enough, he found Beau, Yasha, Jester and Nott all crowded around Orly by the helm. 

“Caleb!” Nott yelled in her shrill voice when she caught sight of them.

The others all looked over, smiling happily at their friend as Fjord led him over. There were a few moments of hubbub while the girls all pulled the ginger into hugs, being sure to avoid his back. Fjord watched from the side as Beau handed Caleb the telescope and pointed out over the horizon. As it was, Whitestone’s harbour was a dark smudge on the horizon, but Fjord knew that by midday tomorrow they would be docking. After that all they had to do was head up and introduce themselves to the folks who ran the place. Jester had received a message letting her know that someone would even be sent to the docks to take them through the city. 

He couldn’t help but smile as he watched Caleb light up when he caught sight of the port through the telescope. He pulled it from his eye and turned to Fjord, who was caught again by just how blue those eyes got in the sun. 

“This is turning out to be quite the adventure, is it not Captain?”

“Farthest we’ve ever been”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKay okay I know this one is early, I planned to wait until I was completely done with chapter 13 before posting this but I've been sitting on "THAT SCENE" since I started this fic and just!!! I finally get to share it!!  
> Sorry for the mild angst in the middle there, more fluff incoming next chapter~  
> (Plus some new characters!)
> 
> Oh also:  
> er mochte es nicht: he didn't like it (or alternately "he doesn't want it" but that had an umlaut over the O)


	13. New Lands and New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally arrive in Whitestone!   
> Time to meet their hosts, and prepare for the nerve-wracking tedium of Diplomacy.

Docking at the Whitestone harbour went as smoothly as anyone could have hoped, and Fjord couldn’t have been more proud of his crew. His only regret was that he and Caleb hadn’t been able to steal a few minutes to themselves since the wizard had woken up. The others had been around constantly, Frumpkin landing on Caleb’s shoulder and refusing to move, and Nott leaving her usual bed among the cannons to curl up at the end of his bed. He couldn’t blame them though, they had been just as worried as him about their resident squishy wizard. 

Now they stood, packs loaded and ready, at the end of the gangplank. Orly and the crew had opted to stick with the ship, not wanting to deal with the more political side of the mission. So, the Nine waited, they had been told someone would be down to pick them up and lead them back to the manor of the people who ran the city. Fjord scanned the docks and was relieved to see that there were no ships flying Empire or Dynasty colours yet. He had hoped to beat them here, get a lay of the land and a read on their hosts. He felt a nudge in his side and looked to Beau, she wasn’t looking at him, but she nodded towards the road. He followed her stare and took a deep breath, pulling towards them were two large, ornate carriages pulled by white horses. The drivers wore uniforms of light blue, white and purple, with golden suns embroidered over the heart. The door of the first carriage opened and a young woman dressed in a similar uniform stepped out. 

“You are the Mighty Nine?” she spoke softly, like someone accustomed to not having to yell to be heard. 

Fjord nodded, stepping forward and holding out his hand.

“Yes, that’s us, we appreciate the transport”

She shook his hand and nodded “The Lord and Lady are expecting you, we should make our way to the manor”

He turned and nodded to the others, who all moved towards the carriages. He, Beau, Caleb and Nott all climbed into the carriage with the woman. Yasha, Jester, Molly and Caduceus headed for the second one, and for a moment Fjord was jealous. The woman hadn’t been rude, but it didn’t escape his notice that she hadn’t given them her name. 

The ride to the manor was quiet, Beau tried to get the woman to tell them about their hosts, or the city, but got nothing in return. Caleb and Nott were staring out the windows with clearly awed looks on their faces, and Fjord could see why. Whitestone was huge, and clearly old, but well taken care of. The cobbled roads were smooth, the shops all looked busy and there were people milling about everywhere. A few looked up when the carriages went by, but most ignored it… which made Fjord think that this “Lord and Lady” must be a familiar sight to their people. 

When they finally pulled up to their destination Fjord had to do a double take. They had been expecting some kind of manor house, but what they were parked in front of was nothing less than a castle. They were led inside and Fjord couldn’t help but join the others in staring around them. The entrance hall ended in a set of massive stairs, leading off to the left and right, with a giant crest secured to the wall. On the stairs stood a couple, a man who looked to be just a few years older than Fjord himself, with white hair and gold spectacles, dressed in a blue formal coat with a gun clearly holstered on his hip. The woman next to him was beautiful, with long dark hair braided to the side and fine clothing in greys and blues, Fjord noted the slight point to her ears, giving a hint to elvish ancestry. 

They walked down to meet the Nine in the center of the room, which Fjord realized had a large golden sun inlayed into the floor. The man held out a gloved hand

“Welcome to Whitestone, I am Lord Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the third, but you can call me Percy”

Fjord shook his hand, blinking at the frankly ridiculous name as Percy indicated the woman next to him

“And this is my lovely wife, Lady Vex'ahlia de Rolo, Baroness of the First House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt”

“Please darling, just Vex is fine”

Vex’s voice was smooth, and Fjord got the feeling that she was very accustomed to talking her way into (or out of) things.

“Well, we appreciate the hospitality,” Fjord said, trying his best for charming “I’m Fjord, this here is Beau, Jester, Caduceus, Yasha, Molly, Nott and Caleb” he indicated everyone as he named them, earning a nod from Percy and a smile from Vex.

“My Lord?” a quiet voice spoke from one of the large doors off the left of the entry, where a man in butlers livery stood.

“Ah, lunch I suppose” Percy said, the man nodded “excellent, come along, you must all be starving”

Lunch started out quiet, the food absolutely delicious (and, to Caduceus’s joy, containing several vegetarian dishes), combined with what Fjord was sure was _very_ expensive wine judging by Beau’s reaction. They were joined just after they sat down by a young girl with dark hair and clever brown eyes, clearly the de Rolo’s daughter. She was lead to a seat between her parents by what Fjord could only guess was a tutor or nursemaid, she looked about 10…though he was never sure with kids. 

The de Rolo’s were surprisingly relaxed, especially for noble folks. Percy was quiet, but clearly very smart, and once he found out about Beau’s family name he opened up. They traded jokes and barbs about the frustration of dealing with the mega-rich, and how much better life on the road had been. It turned out that their hosts had once been “adventurers, much like yourselves” according to Vex. 

“We know you all had a hand in stopping the war on Wildemount, and we did look into what else you have been up to” she paused smiling at Fjord before turning to look at Caleb “but I must admit we couldn’t find much about you darling”

Fjord took a sip of the wine and watched as Caleb nodded, looking almost apologetic.

“Yes, that would make sense as I only joined the Nine a few months ago”

“What about before that?”

“Ah well… I was actually trained at the Soltryce Academy, in Rexxentrum” he paused, taking a breath “of course, since joining the Nine I have not been ah…” he tried not to smile as Caleb searched for the right word “affiliated. I am no longer affiliated with them” 

Fjord felt the swell of pride at that statement, it was good to see the way he pulled himself up straighter as he spoke. Caleb was happy with them, proud to be one of them. 

“I think I’ve heard of Soltryce…” Percy mused “they train mages, don’t they?”

“That is correct.”

A bright, high voice cut over whatever Lord de Rolo was planning to say next.

“Does that mean you know magic?” 

The little girls eyes were fixed on Caleb now, sharp and focused. The wizard blinked in shock, before nodding slowly, clearly unsure of what to say before Vex’s voice cut through, sterner than they had heard it yet

“Vesper.”

The girl looked up at her mother sheepishly, mumbling an apology, and Vex sighed.

“I apologize, our daughter, Vesper, is fascinated by the arcane”

Caleb blinked again and Fjords chest warmed when he smiled at Vesper kindly.

“It is no trouble, perhaps if you like I can show you something while I am here” he looked at her parents “if that is acceptable to you? I believe we have a few days before the other parties arrive?”

Lord and Lady de Rolo looked at each other for a moment before turning to smile at Caleb. 

“That would be lovely” said Vex

“What do you say Vesper?” Percy nudged his daughter, who turned and absolutely _beamed_ at the wizard.

“Thank you!”

Fjord tried his best not to stare as the pink crept across Caleb’s cheeks. 

As lunch was winding down, Fjord decided to try his luck at getting more information.

“So, is there anything we need to know before the other parties arrive?”

Lord de Rolo looked at him over the crystal wineglass, twirling it slowly between his fingers before humming softly

“What would you _like_ to know?”

“Well, honestly we were wondering what product you have that would drag the Empire _and_ the Dynasty both across the sea”

“The Dynasty especially” Beau added, sharp as ever “they don’t make a habit of travelling”

Percy seemed to think it over for a moment before he shrugged and leaned back in his chair, sipping his glass of wine.

“Well, they want the Residuum that our Whitestone mines generate, the Empire approached us first and then I assume the Dynasty got wind of it and in true warring nations form wanted in as well”

“What the heck is Residuum?”

He eyed Beau curiously for a few seconds before raising his glass in Caleb’s direction

“I’m sure your wizard could tell you that, it’s mainly used by folks in his position”

They all turned towards the wizard in question, and Fjord tried to hide his frown when he caught Caleb’s expression. All the hard-earned easy comfort was gone, instead he was smiling that stiff version of a smile he had worn when they first met. One hand was clutching the wine glass, and Fjord could see the other gripping his thigh under the table. Caleb took a sip from his glass and nodded stiffly

“Ah, yes. Residuum is initially found as a green dust produced by the Whitestone ore, it is very useful in its natural state as it conducts arcane energy exceptionally well” his voice was practised, it sounded like he was reciting from a textbook (for all Fjord knew, he might be) “however, its true potential is unlocked once it has been refined into its glass form. It is, as his Lordship mentioned, mainly used in arcane circles” Caleb caught Fjords eye now, and his chest constricted at the barely concealed panic “the Academy, and Master Ikithon specifically, are conducting experiments to see just what it can do”

“Oh, well that makes sense then, and explains why the Dynasty wants it” Beau started thoughtfully

She continued talking, the others joining in the discussion, but Fjord couldn’t hear them. He reached out under the table and put his hand on Caleb’s squeezing lightly. He could see Caduceus eyeing them from Caleb’s other side, so he tilted his head towards their host. Caddy nodded, clearing his throat politely.

“Excuse me Lord de Rolo?”

“Oh, Percy please”

“Percy” Cad nodded “I was wondering if you could direct me to the nearest inn? I’m afraid the journey has me tuckered right out”

“oh!” Vex chuckled kindly “No no Mister Clay, you’re all welcome to stay here, the other parties will be. We’ve had the second-floor guest wing set up for you already. One of the butlers can show you”

One of the uniformed servants stepped forward immediately, bowing crisply to Caduceus. 

“Well, that’s very kind of you” Caduceus smiled

“I think I’ll join you Cad, how about you Caleb?” Fjord kept his voice light, and Caleb nodded gratefully. 

Beau caught his eye and nodded once before returning to the conversation, she would report back to him later he knew.

Fjord kept a grip on Caleb’s elbow as they walked, the gingers posture was stiff and formal the whole way there. If he hadn’t known the man he wouldn’t have noticed just how far away his eyes looked, or how much effort he was putting into walking. The butler bowed once more after leading them to another hallway full of expensive art and tapestries. He indicated the six doors along the hall and told them they were free to claim any room. Once he was out of the hallway, the large wooden door closing behind him, Fjord tugged Caleb into the closest room. Caduceus closed the door behind them as Fjord led Caleb to the huge bed against the far wall. The wizard was shaking now, a sharp tremble that started at his shoulders and seemed to travel right down to his legs. 

“Cay? Caleb, talk to me, what happened?”

Caleb collapsed onto the bed, keeping a tight grip on Fjords offered hand. He looked up, eyes wide and openly panicked now.

“The Residuum”

Fjord frowned again, he had a hunch as to why that would have upset Caleb, knowing what he did about his life with Ikithon… but he had to know for sure.

“What about it darlin’?”

Caleb held out his free arm now and Fjord winced, sometimes he hated being right. 

“We… his experiments, they- they are on the students, on the Volstrucker” his breathing was rapid and shaky now, he let go of Fjords hand in order to grip his own tightly “they- it-“

Fjord dropped onto the bed next to him, wrapping an arm around the shaking shoulders and making soft hushing noises. Caduceus walked over and held out a mug of lightly steaming tea, which Caleb took with shaking hands. 

“It’s alright Cay; you’re safe, he’s not going to lay a gods-damned finger on you I promise.”

Caleb’s voice was barely a whisper when he responded

“What if he’s here?”

Caduceus hummed softly in response to that, pulling Fjords eyes away from Caleb’s stricken face for the first time since they got to the room. 

“You know, he doesn’t really strike me as the type to do his own ah… dirty work, so to speak” the firbolg shrugged “I just get the feeling he’s more likely to send someone else, y’know?”

Fjord nodded, Caduceus had a point. Ikithon was a lot of things (none of them _good_ ) but willing to travel across the ocean to negotiate didn’t seem like one of them. Caleb’s breathing had slowed slightly as he sipped at the tea, and now he leaned slightly against Fjord. 

“I am sorry, I should have- you wanted to talk to Lord de Rolo and I pulled you away”

Fjord shook his head “it’s nothing to apologize for. Beau can talk to the rich folk, she’s better with them anyway” he gave Caleb’s shoulders a squeeze “I just wanted to get you out of there”

“You didn’t seem to be having the best time”

The ginger shook his head “no… no I was not, I was not expecting to hear those words again and I am afraid I may have… panicked, a bit”

He was blushing now, blue eyes locked on his nearly empty teacup. 

Cad refilled the cup and smiled fondly at the top of Caleb’s head

“Nothing to worry about, it’s hard to know how we’ll react to things until we’re presented with them” he yawned, and Fjord couldn’t quite tell if it was real or not “I think I will go and take a nap though, if you all don’t mind”

“Not at all Duceus, we can wake you up if anything happens”

“Excellent” he set the teapot down on the bedside table, gave Caleb a light pat on the shoulder and ambled out calmly. 

There was a moment of silence after the door shut behind him before Caleb let out a shaking breath. 

\----

Caleb sighed, setting the empty teacup on the bedside table next to one of Caduceus’s many pots. The panic was still there, but it was a faint buzzing under his skin now rather than the punch in the gut it had been. He allowed himself to lean more heavily against Fjord, hands twisting in his lap as he did. Fjords warmth against his side was a comfort, but he couldn’t seem to completely calm his racing pulse. Fjords free hand appeared in his vision, coming to rest overtop of his own fidgeting ones. Caleb looked up then, staring into warm amber eyes full of concern. He tried to smile, wanting to banish the expression from Fjord’s handsome face, but it must have come out as shaky as it felt because Fjord only gripped his hands tighter. 

“What can I do darlin’?”

And Gods if that wasn’t just like Fjord, all acceptance and kindness. Caleb shook his head.

“I do not think there is much to be done, I- I just need a moment I think.”

Fjord nodded before leaning forward to press their foreheads together. Caleb let his eyes close then, breathing in the familiar scent of sea salt and sun, trying to let it calm him as it usually did. They should move he knew; the others could be back any time now. They weren’t exactly _hiding_ whatever it was between them, but Caleb was enjoying having this small part of his life completely to himself. Fjord, as usual, seemed to read his mind.

“Should we take separate rooms?”

“Sick of me already captain?”

He felt the warm puff of air that went along with Fjords soft chuckle

“Never Cay, just don’t know that I’ll be able to keep my hands off you if we share, might get a bit obvious”

“Smooth talker” Caleb felt his cheeks warm as he whispered “you have me now”

“Hmm…” Fjord mused, and Caleb could hear the smile on his face “very true, very true”

The buzzing under his skin had changed now, it no longer felt like lingering panic and instead felt like excitement, like anticipation. It was a sensation he was beginning to associate completely with Fjords touch, with the heavy heartbeat that followed. 

The first press of Fjord’s lips against his was gentle, tentative, which Caleb had come to expect. The man was polite even when it clearly wasn’t needed. Caleb parted his lips and kissed back eagerly, knowing this particular activity would absolutely distract him from anything else going on. Fjord chuckled again into the kiss, hand moving from Caleb’s up to cup his cheek, thumb tracing back and forth across his cheekbone. 

“Slow down sweetheart, we have plenty of time”

They stayed like that for a good while, trading soft kisses, a kind of slow affection that left Caleb feeling warm in a cozy way that he wasn’t used to yet. His heart rate had finally slowed, his blood feeling like honey in his veins instead of poison. There was something so entirely _domestic_ about it, the comfortable way that Fjord held him, like they had been doing it for years instead of days. 

By the time the others showed back up, he was feeling like himself again. He and Fjord were separated, having heard the rest of the Nein before they had even made it through the main hall door. Fjord was leaning up against the desk, and Caleb had stayed seated on the bed, now leaning up against the elaborate headboard. Beauregard entered first, throwing herself onto the huge bed next to him, followed by Mollymauk who stretched out like a cat at the foot of it. Even with the three of them, there was still plenty of room, and Caleb couldn’t help but wonder just how much money these de Rolo’s really had. 

There was a tension in the room as the others all settled in, clearly trying not too _look_ like they were looking at him. Beauregard was the first to speak, her voice decidedly casual.

“You good?”

He found himself turning to smile at her

“Only rarely”

Mollymauk burst out laughing, smacking his foot lightly as the tension broke around them. If anything could calm the Nine, it was an attempt at humour. Fjord cleared his throat, clearly trying to hide a smile as he nodded at Beauregard.

“So, what did we miss?”

“Okay, _so_ , they seem pretty cool honestly… for super rich people anyway. They were approached by someone from the Assembly asking about the Residuum, and then like a month later someone from the Dynasty came poking around. Which like, a _month_? Either their spies are slipping, or they wanted it to _look_ like they are. I think we convinced them that it doesn’t matter to us either way, just like, idle curiosity or whatever” she paused and turned back to Caleb with a smirk “oh, and the little princess was asking about you, seems eager to start her magic lessons.”

Caleb couldn’t help but smile at that, there was nothing more endearing to him than someone eager to learn… he knew the feeling well after all. He would have to find a way to search her out in the coming days, maybe he could start with dancing lights, that had been his first spell…

“She also said to tell you that she has all afternoon free tomorrow, so she’ll be in the back gardens.”

He nodded, already entirely focused on what he could show her. He had been teaching Luc a little bit, and almost wished the little boy could be here too… it would be more fun for them to have another child around. Ah well. He pulled out his spell book and flipped to some of the simplest spells.

The others were talking again, the now familiar noise a comfortable buzz in the background of his thoughts. Perhaps he ought to be paying attention, but there really wasn’t much he could do until the talks started properly. Instead, he could focus on staying calm in case his fellow Volstrucker arrived with their respective households.

Teaching a little girl some magic would be a great way to keep his mind off things. 

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur, Caleb found himself absorbed in his book, making sure that he had everything he needed to do the mini-lesson. Dinner went smoothly, the de Rolos were, as Beauregard had said “pretty cool”, and seemed much happier than most to have a group of adventurers in their home. They spent most of the meal trading stories, including a few involving literal ancient dragons that had Caleb staring with the rest. 

“I guess that explains why you’re so much less annoying than most bluebloods” Beauregard smirked “no offence”

Their hosts laughed “Probably so, I was away from court for a long while… honestly we’re more figureheads than anything else.” Percy refilled his wife’s glass “I set up a council as soon as possible, my sister served on it while we were out in the world, but she wanted a break when I returned so” he shrugged.

“Considering the fact that we’re both _on_ the council, I wouldn’t exactly call us figureheads darling.”

Vex tutted good-naturedly at her husband, taking the glass of wine back with a fond smile. 

“Seems a good way to keep things steady, rather than relying on one person” Fjord said thoughtfully, eyes far away “can’t imagine many rulers would be interested in the change though.”

“No, probably not.”

The conversation turned to lighter things as the butlers brought out little after-dinner drinks and digestifs. Caleb could feel himself fading, it had been a very long day and the bed upstairs was _very_ nice. He was considering how best to politely excuse himself when he felt a nudge against his foot. He looked up to see Beauregard smirking at him. She stretched and yawned, throwing him a wink before standing with a tired sound.

“Sorry to eat and run, but I’m beat”

Caleb took the hint, feeling infinitely grateful for the less polished way she handled things, and stood as well.

“I think I will head up as well” he turned to their hosts and dipped his head respectfully “thank you for the meal, it was lovely.”

“No trouble at all, enjoy your rest, someone will come around in the morning to call you for breakfast.”

“ _Danke”_

“Thanks!”

Together they made their way out of the room and towards the stairs, Beau stretched and smiled at him.

“So, what do you think?”

“They seem like decent people, especially for… what was the word you used?”

“Bluebloods?”

“ _Ja_ , that one. They seem… smart, earnest.”

She hummed in agreement as they reached the hall with their rooms. Bidding him goodnight, she made her way to one of the free rooms. Caleb sighed as the door shut behind him, it really had been a _long_ day. He got ready for bed as quickly as he could, settling into the incredibly comfortable bed and drifting off to _finally_ get some sleep.

\----

Fjord watched Beau and Caleb leave and fought the desire to chase after them, Caleb would be fine. He had been perfectly calm through dinner and hadn’t seemed worried about going back to the room with Beau. It was just Fjord’s own protective nature (and maybe a little bit of his own nerves) making him feel like he had to follow. 

They would be fine.

Even so, he and the others didn’t stay up much later after that. It felt like much longer than a day had passed since they arrived in Whitestone, and he was looking forward to getting some sleep. They bid their hosts goodnight and headed towards their rooms. Nott, Yasha and Jester were chatting quietly, only Jester and Nott seemed to have energy left at this point and Fjord was glad they had decided to room together… at least the rest of the party would get sleep. As they neared the room, Molly tapped him on the shoulder.

“D’you mind if I steal Mister Clay from you for the night Fjord?”

There was a mischievous gleam in Molly’s eyes, and Fjord frowned slightly, raising an eyebrow at him.

“That would be up to Caduceus I think, why do you ask?”

“He’s teaching me to meditate! It turns out it’s not really my strong suit”

Fjord laughed at that, trying to imagine the rainbow-bright Mollymauk Tealeaf sitting still long enough to properly meditate, and nodded.

“Sure, best of luck to him, I’ll just… room with Cay then”

“You’re a doll!”

Molly pecked his cheek and headed off to the room he was supposed to be sharing with Cad. Damned meddling Tiefling. He entered the room as quietly as he could, Caleb was curled up on the far side of bed, closest to the wall and Fjord could see his shoulders moving rhythmically up and down. There was something soothing about it, seeing him asleep and comfortable. He dressed for bed, and slid under the covers gently. Caleb mumbled something, but didn’t seem to wake, so Fjord got comfortable and allowed his shoulders to finally relax. 

Tomorrow they would meet the other delegates, the talks would start and the dull stress of _diplomacy_ would be his main focus. But for right now, he could focus on the sound of Caleb’s breathing next to him in the ridiculously comfortable bed, and he could sleep. 

\--

Morning came, as it frequently did for the Nine, with the sound of someone knocking on his door. Fjord sighed, tugging the warm body he was wrapped around closer.

“Who is it?” Caleb’s sleep slow voice was muffled slightly.

“Bartholomew sir, I was sent by his Lordship to invite you to breakfast. It will be ready in about thirty minutes.”

Caleb hummed and Fjord smiled into his hair before turning his head slightly.

“Thank you, tell his Lordship we’ll be there.”

“Of course, Captain.”

Fjord turned back and took a deep breath, the still sleep-warm scent of _Caleb_ filling his nose. A tentative hand came up to grip his where it was pressed to Caleb’s chest.

“ _He_ gets to call you Captain off the ship”

Fjord chuckled, drawing a blunted claw across Caleb’s stomach where his sleep shirt had ridden up.

“If it means so much to you, I suppose you can call me Captain too… but only in private.”

“Oh, you are awful.”

“You started it.”

Caleb turned in his arms, warm hands pressing against his chest as sleepy blue eyes locked on his. Fjord felt that familiar flutter in his chest as Caleb smiled at him, accompanied by the sheer amazement that he could _do_ this. Just… hold him, get to see these soft moments, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“ _Guten Morgen_ ”

“Mornin’ sweetheart”

Caleb’s cheeks went a flattering shade of pink at that, and Fjord couldn’t resist the temptation to lean in and kiss a freckled cheek. 

“We ought to get ready… the others-“

Fjord sighed and kissed him again, lingering this time as Caleb seemed to melt into it. He was right though, the others could come in any time, and they weren’t exactly great at knocking. They untangled themselves from each other and the far too comfortable sheets and started to get ready. Once he was dressed, he turned to see Caleb buttoning the last button on his high collared shirt. The ones Jester had found him were a good middle ground, not nearly as high and stiff as his old uniform but still formal enough to give him an air of authority. They would all need that once the other delegates got to the city. Caleb looked up and smiled when he caught Fjord’s eye, Fjord smiled back, stepping forward with every intention of pulling him close… until the door flew open.

“Goooood morning! It’s breakfast time! Oh Caleb that shirt looks so nice on you! I know we want to get you wearing actual colours and stuff but black really shows off your hair.”

“ _Danke_ Jester, good morning to you too.”

Fjord smiled as Jester continued to talk a mile a minute and followed the two of them out the door. Breakfast was already laid out when they arrived, the de Rolo’s were seated at the head of the table again. The Nine all took their seats, and Fjord fought back a laugh as Vesper left her parents side to settle herself directly next to Caleb. To his credit, Caleb only looked shocked for a moment before her excited questions pulled him in. She was clearly a smart kid, from what Fjord could tell anyway, and Caleb seemed genuinely excited to answer her questions. As soon as Caleb had finished eating, the little girl grabbed his hand and tugged him up, through her excited talk of “perfect study spots” Caleb turned back and smiled apologetically at him. Fjord shook his head, and shrugged, trying to convey that it was fine. As long as Caleb was comfortable with it, then who was he to argue? 

It didn’t escape his notice that Nott followed after them, talking quietly to the woman who seemed to go everywhere with Vesper. 

“Are we alright to explore a bit?” Beau asked, finishing off her third coffee “this place is huge, I’d like to get an idea of the layout before everyone gets here.”

“Of course, the guards know who you are, they won’t bother you.”

“Any idea when we’re expecting the delegates?”

Percy hummed “as long as they don’t run into trouble, we’re expecting them in time for dinner.”

Fjord spent the better part of the day wandering the estate. It was huge, but clearly well guarded and care for. It surprised him briefly when he realized that the main gates were left open, allowing the people of the city to come and go as they pleased. A few younger folks were even walking the well-kept gardens when he passed by around lunch. Eventually, he found himself on a path towards a little section at the back of the grounds, where the neat flowerbeds ended and a patch of wildflower-filled grass began. There were several large old trees, and seated under them he was certain he recognized a head of ginger hair. He walked closer, drawn as ever by the sound of Caleb’s voice on the breeze. 

He was holding up a dandelion, the little puff of while held towards Vesper, and he was smiling at her childishly disdainful face.

"Well, who decided that they are weeds?"

Vesper looked at him a moment, large brown eyes full of that frustration you often saw on clever children presented with a question they didn't anticipate. Caleb only smiled when she frowned at him and shook her head to indicate she didn't know the answer.

"Just because something grows in a place it should not be able to, that does not make it a _problem_ overall, only to those who do not want to see it thrive" he held out the little puff to her "I think perhaps, that makes them particularly special little flowers, they grow and grow, in spite of those who would see them wither."

She took it curiously, inspecting the fluffy little plant with a new interest.

"Plus" he added in a conspiratorial whisper that had her leaning in instantly "you can use them to make _wishes._ "

Fjord smirked as her eyes went wide for a moment before narrowing slightly.

“Is that a spell? My uncle Scanlan used a wish spell when I was just a baby, as a wedding gift for my parents”

Caleb hummed thoughtfully “it is not _quite_ the same thing, but it is still its’ own type of magic” he held the plant close to his lips and smile “all you have to do is think _very_ hard about what you wish for, and blow. The seeds will carry it away, and as they grow, so too does your wish.”

Caleb blew on the little plant, sending the white fluffs dancing through the air. Fjord laughed as a few of them landed on his face, closing the distance between himself and the little group. Caleb chuckled when he saw Fjord’s face, standing and reaching up to brush the puffs out of Fjords hair.

“So sorry Fjord, I did not see you there.”

“Maybe the Captain needs to make a wish too!” Vesper cheered, hopping up and holding out a dandelion to him “I bet that’s why they landed on him.”

Caleb turned to smile kindly at her, and Fjord felt his heart skip a beat at the warmth in his expression.

“Perhaps you are right” he turned back to Fjord and raised an eyebrow “maybe the Captain does need a wish.”

Fjord took the little flower from her with a smile, puffing out his cheeks and blowing just a bit harder than necessary, sending the puffs flying wildly around. It occurred to him, as she laughed and started picking more of the plants, that he hadn’t made a wish. But looking on as Caleb laughed, helping her gather not only dandelions but wildflowers as well… he thought maybe he didn’t need one. 

“Excuse me, Captain?”

He turned, trying to wipe the fond expression from his face as he nodded to the guard.

“His Lordship has asked me to inform you that the other ships are arriving, they will be here within the hour.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!!!!  
> I'm here? I'm SORRY and HELLO I MISSED YOU.
> 
> Here's a nice soft chapter to make up for being gone so long!?   
> We're coming up to the finale here folx, and I'm writing away to provide it! Thanks for sticking with me through all the huge wait times, I love y'all! 💖


End file.
